Twists through turbidity: propagation of light carrying orbital angular momentum through a complex scattering medium

We explore the propagation of structured vortex laser beams-shaped light carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM)-through complex multiple scattering medium. These structured vortex beams consist of a spin component, determined by the polarization of electromagnetic fields, and an orbital component, arising from their spatial structure. Although both spin and orbital angular momenta are conserved when shaped light propagates through a homogeneous, low-scattering medium, we investigate the conservation of these angular momenta during the propagation of Laguerre–Gaussian (LG) beams with varying topological charges through a turbid multiple scattering environment. Our findings demonstrate that the OAM of the LG beam is preserved, exhibiting a distinct phase shift indicative of the ‘twist of light’ through the turbid medium. This preservation of OAM within such environments is confirmed by in-house developed Monte Carlo simulations, showing strong agreement with experimental studies. Our results suggest exciting prospects for leveraging OAM in sensing applications, opening avenues for groundbreaking fundamental research and practical applications in optical communications and remote sensing.