Free-space Data Link Research Articles

Twisted optical communications using orbital angular momentum

Angular momentum, a fundamental physical quantity, can be divided into spin angular momentum (SAM) and orbital angular momentum (OAM) in electromagnetic waves. Helically-phased or twisted light beams carrying OAM that exploit the spatial structure physical dimension of electromagnetic waves have benefited wide applications ranging from optical manipulation to quantum information processing. Using the two distinct properties of OAM, i.e., inherent orthogonality and unbounded states in principle, one can develop OAM modulation and OAM multiplexing techniques for twisted optical communications. OAM multiplexing is an alternative space-division multiplexing approach employing an orthogonal mode basis related to the spatial phase structure. In this paper, we review the recent progress in twisted optical communications using OAM in free space and fiber. The basic concept of momentum, angular momentum, SAM, OAM and OAM-carrying twisted optical communications, key techniques and devices of OAM generation/(de)multiplexing/detection, high-capacity spectrally-efficient free-space OAM links, fiber-based OAM links, and OAM processing functions are presented. Ultra-high spectral efficiency and petabit-scale free-space data links are achieved benefiting from OAM multiplexing. The key techniques and challenges of twisted optical communications are also discussed. Twisted optical communications using OAM are compatible with other existing physical dimensions such as frequency/wavelength, amplitude, phase, polarization and time, opening a possible way to facilitate continuous increase of the aggregate transmission capacity and spectral efficiency through N -dimensional multiplexing.

Performance metrics and design considerations for a free-space optical orbital-angular-momentum–multiplexed communication link

The capacity of free-space optical (FSO) communication links could potentially be increased by the simultaneous transmission of multiple orbital angular momentum (OAM) beams. For such an OAM multiplexing approach, one requires the collection of adequate power as well as proportion of the phase front for a system with minimal crosstalk. Here we study the design considerations for an OAM-multiplexed free-space data link, analyzing the power loss, channel crosstalk, and power penalty of the link in the case of limited-size receiver apertures and misalignment between the transmitter and the receiver. We describe the trade-offs for different transmitted beam sizes, receiver aperture sizes, and mode spacing of the transmitted OAM beams under given lateral displacements or receiver angular errors. Through simulations and some experiments, we show that (1) a system with a larger transmitted beam size and a larger receiver aperture is more tolerant to lateral displacement but less tolerant to the receiver angular error, and (2) a system with a larger mode spacing, which uses larger OAM charges, suffers more system power loss but less channel crosstalk; thus, a system with a small mode spacing shows a lower system power penalty when system power loss dominates (e.g., a small lateral displacement or receiver angular error), whereas that with a larger mode spacing shows a lower power penalty when channel crosstalk dominates (e.g., a larger lateral displacement or receiver angular error). This work could be beneficial to the practical implementation of OAM-multiplexed FSO links.

Modulator-Based, High Bandwidth Optical Links for HEP Experiments

As a concern with the reliability, bandwidth and mass of future optical links in LHC experiments, we are investigating CW lasers and light modulators as an alternative to VCSELs. These links will be particularly useful if they utilize light modulators which are very small, low power, high bandwidth, and are very radiation hard. We have constructed a test system with 3 such links, each operating at 10 Gb/s. We present the quality of these links (jitter, rise and fall time, BER) and eye mask margins (10GbE) for 3 different types of modulators: LiNbO3-based, InP-based, and Si-based. We present the results of radiation hardness measurements with up to ~1012 protons/cm2 and ~65 krad total ionizing dose (TID), confirming no single event effects (SEE) at 10 Gb/s with either of the 3 types of modulators. These optical links will be an integral part of intelligent tracking systems at various scales from coupled sensors through intra-module and off detector communication. We have used a Si-based photonic transceiver to build a complete 40 Gb/s bi-directional link (10 Gb/s in each of four fibers) for a 100m run and have characterized it to compare with standard VCSEL-based optical links. Some future developments of optical modulator-based high bandwidth optical readout systems, and applications based on both fiber and free space data links, such as local triggering and data readout and trigger-clock distribution, are also discussed.

Modulator based high bandwidth optical readout for HEP detectors

Optical links will be an integral part of future LHCexperiments at various scales from coupled sensors to off-detectorcommunication. We are investigating CW lasers and light modulators as analternative to VCSELs. Light modulators are small, use less power, have highbandwidth, are reliable, have low bit error rates and are very rad-hard. Wepresent the quality of the links at 10Gbps and the results of radiationhardness measurements for the modulators built based on LiNbO3, InP,and Si. Also we present results on modulator-based free space data links,steered by MEMS mirrors and optical feedback paths for the control loop.

2 Tbit/s free-space data transmission on two orthogonal orbital-angular-momentum beams each carrying 25 WDM channels

We demonstrate a 2 Tbit/s free-space data link using two orthogonal orbital angular momentum beams each carrying 25 different wavelength-division-multiplexing channels. We measure the performance for different modulation formats, including directly detected 40 Gbit/s nonreturn-to-zero (NRZ) differential phase-shift keying, 40 Gbit/s NRZ on-off keying, and coherently-detected 10 Gbaud NRZ quadrature phase-shift keying, and achieve low bit error rates with penalties less than 5 dB.

Progress in development of multiple-quantum-well retromodulators for free-space data links

We present an update on the progress of the development of the Naval Research Laboratory's (NRL's) multiple-quantum-well retromodulators for compact, low-power communications. We report results for data-in-flight on a small, unmanned aerial vehicle at up to 5 Mbps, in preparation for real-time video transfer using an array of devices. This data was taken at Chesapeake Bay Detachment. We also report transference of color video using wavelet compression at 15 and 30 frames/s, at 4 to 6 Mbps in the lab, at eye-safe intensity levels. The unit is a corner cube modulator using a 980-nm shutter. A five-element array was used for the data-in-flight. First results of our 1550-nm devices are also presented as progress in a cat's eye retromodulator.