Switching the orbital angular momentum state of light with mode sorting assisted coherent laser array system

Area of Science:

• Photonics and Optical Engineering
• Quantum Information Science
• Laser Physics

Background:

• Light beams with orbital angular momentum (OAM) are vital for advanced classical and quantum technologies.
• High-speed switching of OAM states is critical for many applications but remains a significant technical challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel method for flexible and high-speed switching of light's OAM state.
• To overcome the limitations of current OAM switching technologies.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing a coherent laser array system where the output beam is formed by coherent combination of array elements.
• Implementing an OAM mode sorting assisted phase control subsystem with continuous optimization to compensate for dynamic wavefront distortions.
• Programming the cost function of the optimization algorithm to achieve fast OAM state switching.

Main Results:

• Monte-Carlo simulations confirm the feasibility of the proposed method for OAM state switching.
• Demonstrated dynamic wavefront distortion compensation for combined OAM beams.
• Showcased the potential for fast state switching by adjusting the algorithm's cost function.

Conclusions:

• The theoretical framework enables rapid and flexible switching of OAM states in structured light beams.
• The method shows promise for practical implementation of high-power, switchable OAM beams.
• This work advances the development of next-generation optical communication and quantum systems.