Highly accurate spatial mode generation using spatial cross modulation method for mode division multiplexing

Abstract

We propose a spatial mode generation technology using spatial cross modulation (SCM) for mode division multiplexing (MDM). The most well-known method for generating arbitrary complex amplitude fields is to display an off-axis computer-generated hologram (CGH) on a spatial light modulator (SLM). However, in this method, a desired complex amplitude field is obtained with first order diffraction light. This critically lowers the light utilization efficiency. On the other hand, in the SCM, the desired complex field is provided with zeroth order diffraction light. For this reason, our technology can generate spatial modes with large light utilization efficiency in addition to high accuracy. In this study, first, a numerical simulation was performed to verify that the SCM is applicable for spatial mode generation. Next, we made a comparison from two view points of the coupling efficiency and the light utilization between our technology and the technology using an off-axis amplitude hologram as a representative complex amplitude generation method. The simulation results showed that our technology can achieve considerably high light utilization efficiency while maintaining the enough coupling efficiency comparable to the technology using an off-axis amplitude hologram. Finally, we performed an experiment on spatial modes generation using the SCM. Experimental results showed that our technology has the great potential to realize the spatial mode generation with high accuracy.

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