We describe an experimental implementation of a free-space 11-dimensionalcommunication system using orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes. This systemhas a maximum measured OAM channel capacity of 2.12 bits/photon. The effects ofKolmogorov thin-phase turbulence on the OAM channel capacity are quantified. Wefind that increasing the turbulence leads to a degradation of the channelcapacity. We are able to mitigate the effects of turbulence by increasing thespacing between detected OAM modes. This study has implications forhigh-dimensional quantum key distribution (QKD) systems. We describe the sortof QKD system that could be built using our current technology.
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