Spatial Manipulation of Light with a Multi-Plane Light-Converter

A multi-plane light-converter (MPLC) is a relatively new device, which has the primary
function of reshaping an optical field. For example, a Gaussian spot from a laser could be
passed into the device and shaped into any Laguerre Gaussian spatial mode. An MPLC can
reshape its input beam by cascading the beam through a series of spatially patterned phase
elements called phase masks. The concept of passing light through multiple optical
elements, to achieve a desired optical output, is employed all around us. For example, in
camera objectives, telescopes, microscopes and many more. These examples and most
others, use simple phase elements such as lenses that limit their ability to reshape an input
field to an arbitrary output field. An MPLC on the other hand, has no limit in the complexity
of its phase elements essentially allowing it to reshape any optical field into any other
optical field, making it a versatile optical device.

An MPLC has been used in the fields of: telecommunications as a spatial mode sorter,
quantum communications as a high dimensional quantum gate and most recently, as part of
an optical time reverser. These examples show the potential of the MPLC as being a generalpurpose
optical device however, due to its relative newness, the full capabilities of the
device are yet to be tested and fully determined. The major focus of my research has been
to develop two new uses for the MPLC, specifically as a high dimensional quantum gate
generator and as a device that can perform single shot amplitude, phase, and coherence
measurements on arbitrary beams- which is known as a high dimensional stokes space
spatial beam analyser (video explaining the device https://youtu.be/D4b107RS24U).