Abstract
A new era of technology is fast approaching in which quantum computation may become a reality. In the near future, technical applications may require a method of correlating two isolated quantum systems. This would require a signal carrier to be a quantum entity in itself. We survey the quantum states of photon as a medium for encoding information. A communication scheme using the modulation of spatial modes and polarization states on free space or fiber glass optics is proposed. The Laguerre-Gaussian spatial mode is studied with these applications in mind. We also study biographic slide film as a means of creating diffraction gratings. Holographic diffraction gratings were created in order to generate Laguerre-Gauss beam modes of varying quantum number n. The spatial mode phase characteristics were then studied with a Mach-Zehnder interferometer.