3D printing enables more efficient wireless communication with OAM technology

Researchers at Xi’an Jiaotong University have developed a 3D-printed device that generates twisted beams of light with orbital angular momentum (OAM). These beams, which carry a special form of rotational energy, can transmit more data than conventional light beams and offer promising solutions to the challenges of modern communication systems.

“The growing demand for high-capacity, interference-resistant communication systems in applications like 5G/6G wireless networks requires innovative solutions,” said research team leader Jianxing Li from Xi’an Jiaotong University in China. “Although vortex beams carrying OAM can potentially enhance spectral efficiency and communication capacity, current methods to generate these beams are hindered by low efficiency, high fabrication costs and vulnerability to interference from unwanted frequency bands.”

At the heart of the system is an integrated gain-filtering power divider that splits signals evenly and filters out unwanted frequencies at the source. The device was manufactured as a monolithic structure from aluminum using selective laser melting, which ensures precise alignment and low manufacturing costs. This design minimizes losses due to dielectrics and maximizes radiation efficiency.

The operating principle is based on splitting an incoming signal into eight equal parts. Each signal is phase adjusted to achieve the precision required for the OAM beams. Finally, a circular antenna array transmits the final beam with a mode purity of around 80 % and a suppression of unwanted frequencies of over 30 dB. These properties ensure clear signal transmission and reduce interference.

“Our OAM beam generator is particularly well suited for 5G/6G wireless communication as well as remote sensing and imaging,” said Yuanxi Cao, corresponding author of the paper. “For example, integrating this device into communication towers could improve streaming and online connectivity at large gatherings like music festivals or sports events, where high user density often overwhelms existing networks, causing slow speeds and dropped connections.”

“We fabricated the device as a monolithic structure using selective laser-melting 3D-printing technology,” said Cao. “This eliminates the need for assembly, reducing manufacturing costs and ensuring precise alignment of components — all of which are critical for high-frequency applications.”

Future work will focus on the optimization of amplification, efficiency and signal filtering as well as the exploration of multimode OAM beams. The scaling of 3D printing technology and integration into existing systems are also part of the plans to fully exploit the potential of this technology.