Excitation of the fundamental and low-order modes of optical fiber waveguides with gaussian beams. 2: offset beams

Spatial mode and wavelength switchable erbium-doped fiber laser based on a fiber beam shaper

A fiber-based beam shaper to adjust the distribution of spatial modes in a few-mode fiber (FMF) is theoretically and experimentally investigated in this work. A compact and robust device, composed with a single mode fiber-graded index multimode fiber-few mode fiber (SMF-GIMF-FMF), is fabricated by simply fusion splicing of the fibers. Switchable spatial modes and multi-wavelength comb are obtained by the combination of the beam shaper and the few-mode fiber Bragg grating (FM-FBG). This combination acts as a filter to select the wavelength and spatial mode in the laser. A spatial mode switchable fiber laser with high mode purity is extended among LP₀₁, LP₁₁ and cylindrical vector beam (CVB) by adjusting the pressure applied on the beam shaper. Five-discrete wavelengths and their free combination wavelength comb are emitted with a slope efficiency higher than 10%. The fiber laser can be used in the spatial- and wavelength-division multiplexing (SWDM) fiber communication networks requiring particular structure light field.

Method for 10 Gbps near-ground quasi-static free-space laser transmission by nutation mutual coupling

This study proposes a method to reduce link loss in near-ground space laser communication with fiber-nutation-based mutual coupling. We designed a transmit-receive coaxial laser terminal with a 50 mm aperture and implemented beam acquisition tracking and nutation coupling using a single-detector and single-actuator. Following an indoor experiment and a 1 km field test, the single-ended nutation coupling and the two-way nutation mutual coupling theories were compared and analyzed. In conclusion, the proposed method could significantly increase the reception efficiency by ∼8 dB. The bit error rate of 10 Gbps pseudo-random code transmission was 2.478E-9. We also demonstrated video transmission.

Preparation and transmission of low-loss azimuthally polarized pure single mode in multimode photonic band gap fibers

We demonstrate the preparation and transmission of the lowest loss azimuthally polarized TE₀₁₋ like mode in a photonic band gap (PBG) fiber. Using the nature of the mode and the properties of the band gap structure we construct a novel coupler that operates away from the band gap's center to enhance the differential losses and facilitate the radiative loss of hybrid fundamental fiber modes. Remarkably, even though the coupler is highly multimoded, a pure azimuthally polarized mode is generated after only 17 cm. Theoretical calculations verify the validity of this technique and accurately predict the coupling efficiency. The generation and single mode propagation of this unique azimuthally polarized, doughnut shaped mode in a large hollow-core fiber can find numerous applications including in optical microscopy, optical tweezers, and guiding particles along the fiber.

Beam quality output of a few-modes fiber seeded by an off-center single-mode fiber source

We study the beam quality at the output of a multimode step-index optical fiber with a small number of modes following injection from a single-mode input fiber. It is shown that the output beam quality is optimized when the injecting fiber is offset from the center of the receiving core. Theoretical results demonstrating this phenomenon are in good agreement with an experimental demonstration. These results may have practical consequences in beam-coupling schemes and in applications emphasizing the importance of beam quality.

Use of highly elliptical core fibers for two-mode fiber devices

The four complex, almost degenerate, second-order eigenmodes of a two-mode fiber having a circular core are reduced to two nondegenerate, linearly polarized second-order eigenmodes with stable-intensity lobe positions in a highly elliptical core fiber. Existing two-mode-fiber devices can be improved by this stabilization of the second-order modes. Practical sensors employing the two spatial modes as the two arms of an interferometer are described. The two arms of an interferometer of this type can have the same group delays, while the difference in phase delays is large.

Measuring cutoff wavelength of HE21, TE01, and TM01 modes: a novel method using single-polarization launching

A new method for measuring the cutoff wavelength of HE21, TE01, and TM01 modes in single-mode fibers is reported. The method is based on the difference in polarization between the HE11 and second-order modes launched in the offset condition. A single-polarization fiber several meters in length is used as a launching fiber to eliminate cladding mode disturbance and realize linear polarization launching into a test fiber. Good agreement between theoretical and measured cutoff wavelengths for fibers with various refractive-index profiles confirms the high accuracy of the method. A resolution of +/-0.005 microm is attained with the method.

Comparison of cutoff wavelength measurements for single-mode waveguides

The intrinsic cutoff wavelength of the LP11 mode is investigated using three different types of measurement for an ITT single-mode fiber. Characterization of the far-field pattern of the LP01 mode gives a cutoff value approximately 660 nm, a near-field transmission experiment gives approximately 690 nm, and a refracted power measurement gives approximately 830 nm. We conclude that the refracted power technique is the best experimental method for the determination of the intrinsic cutoff wavelength of a fiber sample. The effect of the loss of coupling efficiency into the LP11 mode as cutoff is approached on the transmission and refracted power experiments is noted.

Selective excitation of parabolic-index optical fibers by Gaussian beams

Excitation coefficients of the guided modes of a parabolic-index optical fiber by narrow input Gaussian beams are calculated. The effects of beam offset, tilt, width, and wave-front curvature are examined. A wave-optical procedure for optimizing the input Gaussian beamwidth (to excite as few mode groups as possible) as a function of beam offset is presented and shown to be in agreement with a simple Fourier-optics optimization.

Mode excitation by tilted and offset Gaussian beams in W-type fibers

The excitation efficiencies of a few lower order modes in a W-type fiber have been studied when the modes are excited with a tilted as well as offset Gaussian beams. The effect of beam size, angle of incidence, the radius of curvature of the incident wavefront, and the off-axis displacement has been obtained. It is found that in order to couple maximum power into the fundamental mode, the incident wavefront must be plane, and the beam must be incident axially along the fiber with a suitable value of the beam size.

Excitation of a doubly clad optical fiber by misaligned Gaussian beams

The modal excitation efficiency of a doubly clad optical fiber is determined by using an approximate method which utilizes a series representation of the incident beam in terms of the orthogonal waveguide modes. The dependence of the excitation efficiency on the refractive index difference between the outer and inner cladding, the beam radius of curvature and spot size, as well as a tilt or offset misalignment is investigated. These factors have a pronounced effect on the efficiency and practical tolerances for efficient mode launching may be obtained from the results.