Using rapidly tunable photon orbital angular momentum to identify optical channels for remote sensing applications

Enhancements to rapidly tunable photon orbital angular momentum (OAM) states have opened the door to enhancing free space optical applications across various domains. Photon OAM states have been proven to identify preferential optical transmission channels (eigenchannels) that reduce the impact of turbulent media on free space optical links. In this study, we initiate the use of photon OAM-induced preferential optical transmission channels to enhance the detection and sensing of concealed objects by investigating experimental thrusts into non-electronic feedback mechanisms such as diffuse scattering. This technology leverages the compact, rapidly tunable OAM generator technology developed by researchers at Clemson University to identify these preferential channels and take advantage of them to demonstrate improvements in detectability over traditional lasing techniques. In this work, we detail forthcoming experiments between NIWC Atlantic and Clemson that are focused on investigating this issue, which will enable future experimentation and research into the enhancement of detecting concealed objects among other remote sensing applications.