Sensing and coupling of optical channels in dynamic atmospheric turbulence using OAM beamlets for improved power and data transmission
Martyn Lemon, Evan Robertson, Justin Free, Kunjian Dai, J. Keith Miller, Liam Vanderschaaf, Michael J. Cox, Richard J. Watkins, Eric G. Johnson
Abstract
Propagation of laser light is distorted in the presence of atmospheric turbulence. This poses an issue for sensing, free-space optical communications, and transmission of power. The presented system offers a novel solution to mitigate the effects of turbulence. By rapidly probing a turbulent volume by varying a beam's spatial and phase characteristics, the best transmission mode can be determined and updated in real time. Unlike a traditional tip-tilt system, this scheme is fully electronic, and has a scalable architecture to leverage multiple optical transmission paths simultaneously. This optical control system greatly improves power efficiency and successful recovery of data through environments with strong turbulence.