Advances in communications using optical vortices

An optical vortex having an isolated point singularity is associated with the spatial structure of light waves. A polarization vortex (vector beam) with a polarization singularity has spatially variant polarizations. A phase vortex with phase singularity or screw dislocation has a spiral phase front. The optical vortex has recently gained increasing interest in optical trapping, optical tweezers, laser machining, microscopy, quantum information processing, and optical communications. In this paper, we review recent advances in optical communications using optical vortices. First, basic concepts of polarization/phase vortex modulation and multiplexing in communications and key techniques of polarization/phase…

• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Awards: 11274131, 11574001, 61222502
• PF
  Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University

  Award: NCET-11-0182
• NK
  National Key Research and Development Program of China

  Award: 2014CB340004