Optimal structured light waves generation in 3D volumes using communication mode optics

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel wavefront shaping method using communication modes derived from singular value decomposition to generate precise, low cross-talk 3D structured light waves with high fidelity, demonstrated experimentally.

Contribution

The authors develop a new wavefront shaping approach based on orthogonal communication modes, enabling high-precision 3D light control with reduced cross-talk compared to existing methods.

Findings

Generated 3D light profiles with low cross-talk and high contrast

Successfully demonstrated arbitrary 2D and 3D structured light waves

Method outperforms traditional wavefront shaping techniques in fidelity

Abstract

Achieving precise control of light intensity in 3D volumes is highly in demand in many applications in optics. Various wavefront shaping techniques have been utilized to reconstruct a target amplitude profile within a 3D space. However, these techniques are intrinsically limited by cross-talk and often rely on optimization methods to improve the quality of the reconstruction. We propose and experimentally demonstrate a new wavefront shaping method based on interfering the optimum orthogonal communication modes connecting a source plane and a receiving volume. These optimum modes are computed from the singular value decomposition of a coupling operator that connects each point at the source plane to another one in the receiving volume. The modes comprise a pair of source and receiving eigenfunctions, with each forming a complete orthogonal basis for their respective spaces. We utilize these modes to construct arbitrarily chosen 2D and 3D structured light waves within the output receiving volume and optically generate these waves using a spatial light modulator. Our generated intensity profiles exhibit low cross-talk, high fidelity, and high contrast. We envision our work to inspire new directions in any domain that requires controlling light intensity in 3D with high precision and also to serve as a benchmark for other wavefront shaping techniques.