Integrated circuits based on broadband pixel-array metasurfaces for generating data-carrying optical and THz orbital...

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Telecommunications Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Growing demand for increased data capacity in communication systems.
• Orthogonal orbital angular momentum (OAM) beams offer a method to multiplex data, enhancing spectral efficiency.
• Need for compact, cost-effective OAM generators and detectors for practical deployment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate pixel-array-based metasurfaces as components for OAM-based communication systems.
• To explore the potential of metasurfaces for generating and detecting multiple coaxial OAM beams.
• To assess the suitability of metasurfaces for mode division multiplexing (MDM) in near-infrared (NIR) and terahertz (THz) regimes.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing pixel-array-based metasurfaces as OAM transmitters.
• Employing pixel-array-based metasurfaces as OAM receivers.
• Investigating metasurface performance for generating and detecting multiple OAM beams with tunable orders over a wide bandwidth.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated the feasibility of using pixel-array metasurfaces for OAM beam generation and detection.
• Highlighted the potential for creating compact and integrated OAM transmitters and receivers.
• Showcased the applicability of metasurfaces in both near-infrared (NIR) and terahertz (THz) frequency ranges.

Conclusions:

• Pixel-array-based metasurfaces are a promising technology for enabling future OAM-based communication systems.
• Metasurfaces offer key features like multi-beam generation, tunability, and wide bandwidth operation.
• This approach supports the development of essential components for mode division multiplexing (MDM) communications.