A new experiment, Laser technology, by researchers at Wits University in South Africa and the University of Bordeaux in France has demonstrated a way to transmit optical data through turbulent open air without relying on complex systems to correct atmospheric distortion.
Atmospheric turbulence can twist, scatter and disrupt laser beams, increasing the risk of data loss. Free-space optical communication has therefore traditionally depended on adaptive optics and computing systems to detect and correct these distortions.
The researchers took a different approach by using topology, a mathematical concept involving properties that remain unchanged when an object is stretched, twisted or distorted.
“We create and transmit these particle-like topologies of light through a 270-meter free-space optical link, revealing their robustness across a wide variety of conditions and turbulence strengths,” the study noted.
The team encoded information into skyrmions, exotic particle-like magnetic structures carried by light. Instead of relying only on brightness, colour or polarization, the data was embedded in the beam’s topological structure.
To test the method, skyrmion-encoded laser beams were transmitted across 270 meters between 2 buildings at Wits University in Johannesburg. The beams encountered real-world heat, wind and atmospheric turbulence. Although the beam’s shape became heavily distorted, its underlying topological information remained intact.
The system achieved more than 98% data fidelity under most conditions, falling to 86% during extreme turbulence. This suggests that receivers could potentially decode information without first reconstructing the distorted beam.
The approach could also reduce the computing and energy requirements associated with correcting atmospheric distortion in free-space optical systems. If scaled, it could have applications in deep-space communication, high-speed satellite links and quantum cryptography.
The technology could also help connect rural and remote communities by enabling high-speed internet links through the air without the need to install extensive fibre-optic infrastructure.
The findings were published in Science Advances.
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