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.