Free-space optical communication with perfect optical vortex beams multiplexing

Abstract

We demonstrate a 2-channel orbital angular momentum (OAM) multiplexed free space optical communication (FSO) link using perfect optical vortex (POV) beams. POV beams are able to be transmitted coaxially over than 1m with the assistance of a microscope objective and normal lens. 16QAM-OFDM signals are used to measure the performance, which is also compared with the FSO link based on Laguerre–Gaussian (LG) vortex beams multiplexing in the same experimental environment. The results show that, the FSO link employing POVs multiplexing can bring a better performance to the system, which can always obtain a lower BER under the same received power; The using of POVs as carriers greatly reduces the systems’ sensitivity to the change of OAM topological charge numbers; And the constant diameter of POVs is also improve the versatility of the optical devices of different channels in the system.