Mode power spectrum for Laguerre-Gauss beams in Kolmogorov turbulence

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. (C) 2022 Optica Publishing Group

Automated summary

This article analyzes the effects of atmospheric turbulence on the mode power spectrum of beams carrying orbital angular momentum represented by Laguerre-Gauss (LG) modes. The analysis is validated against simulations and shows consistent results, which have important implications for the design and characterization of free-space laser communication systems.