Orbital angular momentum complex spectrum analyzer for vortex light based on the rotational Doppler effect

The ability to measure the orbital angular momentum (OAM) distribution of vortex light is essential for OAM applications. Although there have been many studies on the measurement of OAM modes, it is difficult to quantitatively and instantaneously measure the power distribution among different OAM modes, let alone measure the phase distribution among them. In this work, we propose an OAM complex spectrum analyzer that enables simultaneous measurements of the power and phase distributions of OAM modes by employing the rotational Doppler effect. The original OAM mode distribution is mapped to an electrical spectrum of beat signals using a photodetector. The power and phase distributions of superimposed OAM beams are successfully retrieved by analyzing the electrical spectrum. We also extend the measurement technique to other spatial modes, such as linear polarization modes. These results represent a new landmark in spatial mode analysis and show great potential for applications in OAM-based systems and optical communication systems with mode-division multiplexing. Vortex beams: measuring orbital angular momentum An instrument that can map the power and phase distributions of vortex light beams that have orbital angular momentum (OAM) has been built. The ability to measure the OAM distribution of vortex light is essential for OAM applications, but it is challenging to instantaneously measure the power and phase distribution of different OAM modes. The OAM spectrum analyzer developed by Jianji Dong of Huazhong University of Science and Technology and co-workers characterizes a beam with unknown OAM by sending it and a reference beam to a spinning object, which scatters the light, imparting a rotational Doppler frequency shift in the process. The scattered light is then passed through a mode filter and collected by a photodetector for analysis. The frequency shift of the scattered light reveals information about the OAM content of the unknown beam.