Encoding information as orbital angular momentum states of light for wireless optical communications

The issues of security and obstruction of line of sight are concerns of wireless optical communications (WOC). In this paper, an analysis of light beams carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) used for WOC is undertaken. The basic description and conception of OAM of light are given. Encoding information both as the OAM states of a single light beam and as the spatial structure of the mixed light beams with OAM is discussed and compared. Using OAM to encode the data offers an inherent security enhancement. Mixed vortex fields with OAM possess a self-reconstruction property that is able to regenerate and to reconstruct their initial spatial distributions of the complex amplitude in the condition of obstruction of line of sight. (c) 2007 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.