Orbital-angular-momentum crosstalk and temporal fading in a terrestrial laser link using single-mode fiber coupling

Using a mobile experimental testbed, we perform a series of measurements on the detection of laser beams carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) to evaluate turbulent channel distortions and crosstalk among receive states in an 84-m roofed optical link. We find that a receiver assembly using single-mode fiber coupling serves as a good signal selector in terms of crosstalk rejection. From the recorded temporal channel waveforms, we estimate average crosstalk profiles and propose an appropriate probability density function for the fluctuations of the detected OAM signal. Further measurements of OAM crosstalk are described for a horizontal 400-m link established over our campus.