Control of orbital angular momentum of optical vortex beams with complex wandering perturbations

This work investigates how independent perturbations and cross-correlation perturbations affect optical vortex beams. Theoretical and experimental results show that both perturbations cause the intensity, average orbital angular momentum (OAM), and the OAM spectrum of the vortex beam to vary periodically with the perturbation direction, but with different periods. When the beam is subjected to independent perturbations, the average OAM changes periodically with theta in every pi /2; when the beam is subjected to cross-correlation perturbations, the average OAM varies with theta in every pi. The results of this work provide a method to control the OAM and regulate low-coherence vortex beams in turbulent environments. (C) 2022 Optica Publishing Group