High-speed readout for direct light orbital angular momentum photodetector via photoelastic modulation

TL;DR

This paper introduces a high-speed direct light orbital angular momentum detector using photoelastic modulation and phase-locked readout, significantly surpassing previous speed limitations and advancing practical on-chip OAM detection technology.

Contribution

The authors develop a novel electrical polarization modulation and phase-locked readout scheme that greatly increases the operation speed of OAM photodetectors based on OPGE.

Findings

Achieved 1 kHz operation speed in mid-infrared OAM detection.

Proposed potential to reach 50.14 kHz with advanced modulation.

Demonstrated practical high-speed OAM detection using multilayer graphene.

Abstract

Recent progress in direct photodetection of light orbital angular momentum (OAM) based on the orbital photogalvanic effect (OPGE) provides an effective way for on-chip direct electric readout of orbital angular momentum, as well as large-scale integration focal-plane array devices. However, the recognition of OAM order from photocurrent response requires the extraction of circular polarization-dependent response. To date, the operation speed of such detector is currently at the minute level and is limited by slow mechanical polarization modulation and low OAM recognition capability. In this work, we demonstrate that the operation speed can be greatly improved via electrical polarization modulation strategy with photoelasitc modulator accompanied by phase-locked readout approach with lock-in amplifier. We demonstrate an operation speed of up to 1 kHz with this new technology in the mid-infrared region (4 {\mu}m) on an OAM detector using multilayer graphene (MLG) as photosensitive material. In principle, with new modulation and readout scheme, we can potentially increase the operation speed to 50.14 kHz with a PEM that operates at a state-of-the-art speed. Our work paves the way toward high-speed operation of direct OAM detection devices based on OPGE effect and pushes such technology to a more practical stage for focal plane array applications.