Universal photonic processor for spatial mode decomposition

Area of Science:

• Photonics
• Optical Information Processing
• Integrated Optics

Background:

• Efficient optical information processing relies on manipulating light's properties: intensity, phase, and polarization.
• Accurate spatial mode decomposition is crucial for utilizing these properties in photonic applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel modal decomposition technique using a reconfigurable photonic integrated circuit.
• To enable precise quantification of constituent spatial modes and their relative phases.

Main Methods:

• A 16-pixel reconfigurable photonic integrated circuit was programmed as a spatial mode decomposer.
• The device decomposes arbitrary spatial modes into a Laguerre-Gaussian basis.
• A novel input interface facilitates polarization decomposition into circular polarization states.

Main Results:

• The photonic integrated circuit successfully identifies and quantifies relative mode contributions and phases.
• The device demonstrates a novel approach for integrated optical information processing.
• The system enables decomposition of input beam polarization into circular polarization basis.

Conclusions:

• This reconfigurable photonic integrated circuit offers a significant advancement in spatial mode decomposition.
• The technology has broad potential applications in optical communications, microscopy, and beyond.
• This work marks a stride in integrated photonics for optical information processing.