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AssigneesUniversity of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Csir
InventorsAndrew FORBES, Angela DUDLEY, Carmelo Guadalupe Rosales GUZMÁN
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The invention relates to optical communication methods and systems. In particular, the invention relates to an optical communication method and system which is configured to create a multiplexed beam from an incident beam, wherein the multiplexed beam comprises a predetermined number of spatial modes simultaneously generated and multiplexed together in a fashion that is independent of wavelength. The spatial modes have two degrees of spatial freedom. The multiplexed beam is de-multiplexed downstream from multiplexing thereof in the communication system in a simultaneous fashion independent of wavelength to yield the predetermined number of spatial mode. The modes are used in optical communication as channels or as bits in a bit (de) encoding scheme.
A method of optical communication comprising:
A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the method comprises receiving the incident light beam in the form of a data carrying light beam.
A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the method comprises complex-amplitude modulating the incident light beam with the first optical element to create the single multiplexed light beam in a manner that is mode selective but independent of the wavelength of the incident light beam.
A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein each mode and wavelength of the multiplexed light beam is spatially separate in the Fourier plane.
A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the method comprises transmitting the single multiplexed light beam across an optical channel selected from a group comprising one or more optical fiber/s and free space.
A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first optical element is selected from a group comprising a diffractive optical element, an aspherical optical element, and a phase only spatial light modulator.
A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the method comprises encoding the first optical element with a single hologram operable to generate the predetermined modes irrespective of the one or more wavelengths of the incident light beam, wherein the single hologram is a superposition of a plurality of holograms, wherein each of the plurality of holograms has a different carrier frequency corresponding to each of the predetermined number of modes, and wherein each different carrier frequency has a substantially saw-tooth shaped phase function.
A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the method comprises:
A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the method comprises one or both the steps of:
A method of optical communication comprising:
An optical communication system comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.