Compensation-free high-dimensional free-space optical communication using turbulence-resilient vector beams

Zhu Z, Janasik M, Fyffe A, Hay D, Zhou Y, Kantor B, Winder T, Boyd RW, Leuchs G, Shi Z (2021)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2021

Journal

Nature Communications Nature Publishing Group: Nature Communications

Book Volume: 12

Article Number: 1666

Journal Issue: 1

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21793-1

Abstract

Free-space optical communication is a promising means to establish versatile, secure and high-bandwidth communication between mobile nodes for many critical applications. While the spatial modes of light offer a degree of freedom to increase the information capacity of an optical link, atmospheric turbulence can introduce severe distortion to the spatial modes and lead to data degradation. Here, we demonstrate experimentally a vector-beam-based, turbulence-resilient communication protocol, namely spatial polarization differential phase shift keying (SPDPSK), that can reliably transmit high-dimensional information through a turbulent channel without the need of any adaptive optics for beam compensation. In a proof-of-principle experiment with a controllable turbulence cell, we measure a channel capacity of 4.84 bits per pulse using 34 vector modes through a turbulent channel with a scintillation index of 1.09, and 4.02 bits per pulse using 18 vector modes through even stronger turbulence corresponding to a scintillation index of 1.54.

Authors with CRIS profile

Gerhard Leuchs

Involved external institutions

Max-Planck-Institut für die Physik des Lichts (MPL) / Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light DE Germany (DE) University of South Florida (USF) US United States (USA) (US) University of Rochester (UR) US United States (USA) (US)

How to cite

APA:

Zhu, Z., Janasik, M., Fyffe, A., Hay, D., Zhou, Y., Kantor, B.,... Shi, Z. (2021). Compensation-free high-dimensional free-space optical communication using turbulence-resilient vector beams. Nature Communications, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-21793-1

MLA:

Zhu, Ziyi, et al. "Compensation-free high-dimensional free-space optical communication using turbulence-resilient vector beams." Nature Communications 12.1 (2021).

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