Depolarization characteristics of spatial modes in imaging probe using short multimode fiber

Depolarization of Light in Optical Fibers: Effects of Diffraction and Spin-Orbit Interaction

Polarization is measured very often to study the interaction of light and matter, so the description of the polarization of light beams is of both practical and fundamental interest. This review discusses the polarization properties of structured light in multimode graded-index optical fibers, with an emphasis on the recent advances in the area of spin-orbit interactions. The basic physical principles and properties of twisted light propagating in a graded index fiber are described: rotation of the polarization plane, Laguerre–Gauss vector beams with polarization-orbital angular momentum entanglement, splitting of degenerate modes due to spin-orbit interaction, depolarization of light beams, Berry phase and 2D and 3D degrees of polarizations, etc. Special attention is paid to analytical methods for solving the Maxwell equations of a three-component field using perturbation analysis and quantum mechanical approaches. Vector and tensor polarization degrees for the description of strongly focused light beams and their geometrical interpretation are also discussed.

Differential phase imaging in full-field optical coherence microscopy using a short multimode fiber probe

We demonstrate phase imaging that reduces the common phase noise in full-field optical coherence microscopy using a short multimode fiber (SMMF) probe. Using a cover glass, phase images of the SMMF and sample surfaces were measured simultaneously. Subtracting the phase of the SMMF surface as a reference, the phase drifts in the sample region are reduced. The axial and lateral resolutions were 2.3 µm and <4.4µm, respectively. The standard deviation of the time variation in the phase decreased from 14.3 deg to 9.2 deg and was reduced by 64% when in contact with the polymer film at the SMMF. In quantitative evaluations, the measured phases closely correspond to the phases changed by a piezoelectric device.