Hermite-Gaussian Modes are a set of solutions to the paraxial wave equation in optics. These solutions describe the transverse spatial distribution of electromagnetic waves, particularly laser beams, in optical systems. The Hermite-Gaussian modes are characterized by their specific intensity and phase distributions across the cross-section of the beam. These modes are commonly used to represent the profile of laser beams in optical resonators and systems.

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The Resilience of Hermite- and Laguerre-Gaussian Modes in Turbulence

Vast geographical distances in Africa are a leading cause for the so-called digital divide due to the high cost of installing fiber. Free-space optical (FSO) communications offer a convenient and higher bandwidth alternative to point-to-point radio microwave links, with the possibility of repurposing existing infrastructure. Unfortunately, the range of high-bandwidth FSO remains limited. While there has been extensive research into an optimal mode set for FSO to achieve maximum data throughput by mode division multiplexing, there has been relatively little work investigating optical modes to improve the resilience of FSO links. Here, we experimentally show that a carefully chosen subset of Hermite-Gaussian modes is more resilient to atmospheric turbulence than similar Laguerre-Gauss beams, with a predicted upper bound increase in propagation distance of 167% at a mode-dependent loss of 50%.