MEMS-metasurface Based Tunable Optical Vortex Lasers for smart free-space communication

Meta-LiFi将开发一种新型的光无线通信系统，以应对日益增长的无线数据传输能力的需求。与使用频率、时间或空间来编码信息的传统方法不同，将开发一种新的设备，利用光波的轨道角动量(OAM)作为额外的自由度来编码数据。为此，Meta-LiFi将开发一种突破性的小型化OAM发射器，适合高能效运行。此外，它具有高度的适应性，具有以低成本大规模生产的潜力，并可作为下一代智能自由空间光通信和光保真(LiFi)网络的使能设备。与新通信系统设计相关的雄心勃勃的挑战将通过多管齐下的方法来解决，提供多功能、多样化和高质量的OAM光源，以创建具有足够模式纯度的模式。这一特征将被用来开发新的自适应数字数据编码技术。首先，将获得基于纳米光机电系统(NOEMS)的活性亚表面。其次，采用MEMS激活的有源亚表面与垂直腔面发射激光器(VCSEL)片上集成的方法实时控制波前，以产生具有可调谐拓扑电荷的光学涡旋激光器。提出的涡旋激光器将使一种新型的超紧凑和可重构的OAM激光器阵列成为可能。该激光器阵列将提供通过OAM模式同时传输独立数据流的机制。信道的数量可以动态变化，这将提供调整以适应变化的通信信道条件的能力。第三，通过将这种灵活性与高级人工神经网络(ANN)支持的最新机器学习(ML)技术相结合，将有可能自动使设备操作适应系统移动部署所产生的不同条件。例如，由于例如随机和突然的发送器-接收器未对准和随机链路阻塞，通信信道可能经历快速变化。综上所述，Meta-LiFi的出现将使智能光无线通信系统应运而生。Meta-LiFi将在用于自由空间通信的数字数据编码方面实现突破性改进。此外，它还提供了一类新的活动元表面，用于集成到单个设备中。因此，Meta-LiFi将为支持许多工业部门应用的高速、智能自由空间通信铺平道路。

META-LiFi will develop a novel optical wireless communication system as a response to the ever-increasing demand for wireless data transmission capabilities. In contrast to traditional approaches to use frequency, time or space to encode information, a new device will be developed that utilises the orbital angular momentum (OAM) of lightwaves as an additional degree of freedom to encode data. To this end, META-LiFi will develop a breakthrough miniaturised OAM emitter, which is suitable for power-efficient operation. Furthermore, it allows for a high degree of adaptability, and has the potential for large-volume production at low cost as well as serving as an enabling device for the next generation of intelligent free-space optical communication and Light-Fidelity (LiFi) networks. The ambitious challenges in relation to the design of the new communication system will be tackled by means of a multipronged approach delivering versatile, diverse, and high-quality OAM light sources that create modes with sufficient modal purity. This feature will be used to develop new adaptive digital data encoding techniques. First, active metasurfaces based on nano-opto-electro-mechanical systems (NOEMS) will be obtained. Second, the control of the wavefront in real-time through on-chip integration of MEMS-enabled active metasurfaces with vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) will be adopted for the generation of optical vortex lasers with tuneable topological charges. The proposed vortex lasers will enable a new type of ultra-compact and reconfigurable OAM laser array. This laser array will provide a mechanism for simultaneous transmission of independent data streams through the OAM modes. The number of channels can be dynamically varied which will provide the ability to adjust to varying communication channel conditions. Third, by combining this flexibility with the latest machine learning (ML) techniques supported by advanced artificial neural networks (ANNs), it will be possible to autonomously adapt the device operation to varying conditions stemming from a mobile deployment of the system. For instance, the communication channel may undergo rapid changes because of, for example, random and abrupt transmitter-receiver misalignments and random link blockages. In conclusion, META-LiFi will result in a timely development of intelligent optical wireless communication systems. META-LiFi will enable breakthrough improvements in digital data encoding for free-space communication. Furthermore, it provides a new class of active metasurfaces for integration in a single device. Thereby, META-LiFi will pave the way for high speed, intelligent free-space communications supporting applications across many industrial sectors.