Vortex-Beam Multiplexing Emitter Using Advanced Manufactured Leaky Cables

Although orbital angular momentum (OAM) is extensively explored and researched in various scientific domains, its practical application in wireless communications still faces numerous challenges. Notably, existing OAM beam generation technologies need to meet the diversified demands of modern wireless communication, such as miniaturization, cost-effectiveness, and system integration. Driven by the immense potential of OAM in communication systems, in this work, an innovative method based on leaky cables capable of simultaneously generating multiple vortex beams, overcoming a series of implementation issues associated with multiplexing emitters, is introduced. A design prototype is fabricated and tested, and the measurement results align closely with the simulations, validating the multifunctionality and practicality of the method. Moreover, the proposed strategy can seamlessly extend to optical frequencies using the concept of leaky fibers. In this method, not only efficient spatial utilization and excellent isolation are realized but also high cost-effectiveness is possessed. Compared to previous strategies, this technique may have an impact on simplifying the establishment of communication system platforms based on OAM multiplexing.