Multi-Plane Spatially Resolved Phase Structuring Using Optical Communication Modes
Abstract
We present a deterministic framework for three-dimensional beam shaping that enables versatile control of intensity and phase, pixel-by-pixel, across multiple axial planes. Conventional multi-plane holographic techniques typically rely on iterative optimization and mitigate inter-plane crosstalk through phase randomization, introducing speckle noise and thereby limiting deterministic phase control. Here, target fields are synthesized as a linear superposition of free-space communication modes obtained from the singular value decomposition of a coupling operator connecting a source plane to multiple target planes. Because these modes form orthogonal and energy-efficient transmission channels between the source and receiving spaces, their superposition yields volumetric wavefields with enforced phase coherence and reduced inter-plane crosstalk, without iterative refinement. We experimentally demonstrate high-fidelity reconstruction of intensity and phase profiles across multiple planes using a single phase-only spatial light modulator, including arbitrary structured phase singularity patterns. The proposed approach establishes communication-mode optics as a practical and physically grounded framework for multi-plane beam shaping, particularly in applications where phase structure and coherence across depth are essential.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2603.15222,
title = {Multi-Plane Spatially Resolved Phase Structuring Using Optical Communication Modes},
author = {Vinicius S. de Angelis and Maximilian Jeindl and Leonardo A. Ambrosio and David A. B. Miller and Federico Capasso and Ahmed H. Dorrah},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2603.15222},
year = {2026}
}