Mode power spectrum for Laguerre–Gauss beams in Kolmogorov turbulence
Henry F. Elder, P. Sprangle
Abstract
We analyze the effects of atmospheric turbulence on the mode power spectrum of beams carrying orbital angular momentum represented by Laguerre-Gauss (LG) modes. For an input (0, m) LG mode, we calculate the power transferred to other modes (0, m') due to turbulence. The analysis is validated against split-step beam propagation simulations and shows agreement into the strong turbulence regime. These results have applications for the design and characterization of free-space laser communication systems.
Topics & Concepts
PhysicsTurbulenceOpticsSpectral densityMode (computer interface)Free-space optical communicationBeam (structure)Angular momentumLaguerre polynomialsPower (physics)Light beamComputational physicsOptical communicationClassical mechanicsQuantum mechanicsMechanicsMathematicsOperating systemComputer scienceStatisticsOrbital Angular Momentum in OpticsOptical Wireless Communication TechnologiesAdaptive optics and wavefront sensing