Turbulence-resistant self-focusing vortex beams

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that self-focusing vortex beams carrying orbital angular momentum are highly robust against oceanic turbulence, significantly outperforming coherent beams in maintaining intensity and detection probability over 100 meters.

Contribution

It introduces the use of turbulence-resistant self-focusing OAM beams for optical communication, showing their superior robustness compared to traditional coherent beams.

Findings

Over five orders of magnitude higher peak intensities at the receiver

Approximately 80% detection probability for the signal mode

Energy transmission efficiency exceeding 70% over 100 meters

Abstract

We consider recently introduced self-focusing fields that carry orbital angular momentum (OAM) [Opt. Lett. $\textbf{46}$, 2384$-$2387 (2021)] and in particular, their propagation properties through a turbulent ocean. We show that this type of field is especially robust against turbulence induced degradation, when compared to a completely coherent beam. In moderately strong oceanic turbulence, the self-focusing OAM beam features over five orders of magnitude higher peak intensities at the receiver plane, an $\sim$80 $\%$ detection probability for the signal mode, as well as an energy transmission efficiency in excess of 70 $\%$ over a link of $\sim$100 m. Counter-intuitively, the focusing properties of such fields may be enhanced with increasing turbulence, causing the mean squared waist to become smaller with greater turbulence strength. Our results demonstrate that certain types of partial coherence may be highly desirable for optical telecommunication employing OAM.