Abstract

Recently, the implementation of rectangular waveguides for generation and manipulation of orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes, has been developed to exploit the outstanding features of these modes in more complex integrated devices. Multimode interference (MMI) structures have been widely used in both one and two dimensions as the basic elements in many integrated optical devices like optical beam splitters, mode converters, couplers, wavelength-division (de)multiplexers, and switches. According to the various applications of OAM modes in quantum and classical communications, the study of their propagation properties in MMI waveguides is useful in order to facilitate the way into higher security and capacity systems. This paper presents the results of numerical investigation of a proposed integrated optical OAM mode converter which is performed based on the mode decomposition properties of propagating OAM modes in 2D MMI waveguides, as well as the fact that any order of OAM mode can be represented as superposition of an odd mode and a quarter-wave shifted even mode. The proposed device, which consists of two MMI waveguides connected by phase shifters and linear waveguides, provides mode conversion between beams carrying OAM with odd opposite topological charges. The design procedure is performed for OAM modes with topological charge values of l = ±1 and l = ±3 using beam propagation method. The proposed device is passive with reciprocal behavior and has the output mode purity of 94% and 82% for beams carrying l = ±1 and l = ±3, respectively.

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