Mode sorter and detector based on photon orbital angular momentum

Baha Jassemnejad; A. Bohannan; John D. Lekki; Kenneth E. Weiland

doi:10.1117/1.2931686

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1 May 2008 Mode sorter and detector based on photon orbital angular momentum

Baha Jassemnejad, A. Bohannan, John D. Lekki, Kenneth E. Weiland

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Optical Engineering, 47(5), 053001 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.2931686

Abstract

Photons were generated possessing orbital angular momentum (OAM) in the form of Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) laser modes. Three Mach-Zehnder interferometer systems, with the use of Dove prisms, were constructed to sort and detect the LG modes based on their OAM state. Successful generating, sorting, and detecting of LG modes is the first step towards information encoding and decoding via lasers. It is possible to generate many LG modes, which can be orthogonally decoded. With many modes to encode information with it is possible to transfer more than one bit of information with a single photon using LG encoding. An experimental test of this concept was performed by demonstrating the generation and sorting of LG modes with attenuated intensities averaging below one photon passing through the system at a time. In summary, generating, sorting, and low-power detecting of specific LG modes were all demonstrated.

©(2008) Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE)

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Baha Jassemnejad, A. Bohannan, John D. Lekki, and Kenneth E. Weiland "Mode sorter and detector based on photon orbital angular momentum," Optical Engineering 47(5), 053001 (1 May 2008). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.2931686

Published: 1 May 2008

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