Polarization maintaining mode selective coupler

Simple all-fiber coupler is presented as solution to the missing MDM component in the future all fiber networks. It is capable of exciting specific higher order mode at the required spatial direction with high efficiency

Three-core weakly-guiding mode-selective fibre couplers

The coupling behaviour of two-core mode-selective couplers (MSC) depends on the spatial-orientation of the asymmetric higher-order modes. This restricts their use for mode de-multiplexing in few-mode fibre networks. The use of three-core MSC's is presented as a solution

All-fiber fused directional coupler for highly efficient spatial mode conversion

We model and demonstrate a simple mode selective all-fiber coupler capable of exciting specific higher order modes in two- and few-mode fibres with high efficiency and purity. The coupler is based on inter-modally phase-matching the propagation constants in each arm of the asymmetric fused coupler, formed by dissimilar fibres. At a specific coupler diameter, the launched fundamental LP01 mode is coupled into the higher order mode (LP11, LP21, LP02) in the other arm, over a broadband wavelength range around 1550 nm. Unlike other techniques, the demonstrated coupler is composed of a multimode fiber that is weakly fused with a phase matched conventional single mode telecom fiber (SMF-28). The beating between the supermodes at the coupler waist produces a periodic power transfer between the two arms, and therefore, by monitoring the beating while tapering, it is possible to obtain optimum selection for the desired mode. High coupling efficiencies in excess of 90% for all the higher order modes were recorded over 100 nm spectral range, while insertion losses remain as low as 0.5 dB. Coupling efficiency can be further enhanced by performing slow tapering at high temperature, in order to precisely control the coupler cross-section geometry

Directional couplers for detecting the TE sub 11 and TE sub 12 circular waveguide modes

The theoretical and experimental results for a pair of mode-selective directional couplers designed to detect the TE sub 11 and TE sub 12 modes in a multimode circular wavelength are described. A brief description of the design of the couplers is presented, followed by a comparison of their measured and calculated parameters. The couplers were used to measure the characteristics of a circular waveguide mode converter. The results of these measurements are described

Dissipative soliton resonance Ytterbium-doped fiber laser with cylindrical vector beam generation

We experimentally demonstrate a dissipative soliton resonance (DSR) Ytterbium-doped fiber laser with high-purity cylindrical vector beam (CVB) generation, using a mode-selective coupler (MSC) as transverse mode converter and splitter. The all-normal-dispersion mode-locked Ytterbium-doped fiber laser operating at DSR regime without spectral filter can deliver CVB pulses with a pulse duration of ∼733 ps and a pulse energy as high as ∼0.439 nJ. The radially and azimuthally polarized beams can be switched by adjusting the polarization controller, with a high mode purity measured to be >94.5%. This compact DSR fiber laser could find potential applications in the field of material processing, nonlinear optics and so on

All-fiber fused-type mode selective coupler with high performance and free of pre-tapering

In this paper we propose and demonstrate a novel all-fiber fused-type mode selective coupler (MSC) that capable of converting LP01 mode to LP11 mode with high efficiency and purity. Unlike other coupler fabrication techniques for which single mode fiber (or few mode fiber) must be pre-tapered, the advantage of our proposed coupler is that pre-tapering is not required. Two different fibers of the MSC have the same diameter. We achieve LP11 mode with a high modal purity of > 90% and a coupling efficiency of >20%, with a low insertion loss of about 0.3 dB at the wavelength of 1064 nm

A mode-locked fiber laser generating high purity cylindrical vector beams based on a mode selective coupler in a figure-8 cavity

We propose and demonstrate an all-fiber passively mode-locked laser with pulsed cylindrical vector beam output based on a mode selective coupler (MSC) in a figure-8 cavity, The MSC made of a two mode fiber and a standard single mode fiber is used as both the intracavity transverse mode converter and mode splitter. Through adjusting the polarization state in the laser cavity, both radially and azimuthally polarized beams have been obtained with high mode purity which are measured to be > 94%. The mode-locked laser pulses have duration of 17 ns and a repetition rate of 0.66 MHz, operating near a wavelength of 1556.3 nm with a spectral bandwidth of 3.2 nm

A 1.0 μm Cylindrical Vector Beam Fiber Ring Laser Based on A Mode Selective Coupler

We propose and demonstrate a continuous-wave all-fiber ring laser generating cylindrical vector beams (CVBs) using a MSC as transverse mode converter and mode splitter. The MSC is fabricated by a novel method free of pre-tapering, achieving LP11 mode with a high purity of > 96% near the wavelength of 1064 nm. The CVB fiber laser operates at a center wavelength of 1053.9 nm, with a 3 dB linewidth of less than 0.04 nm and a signal-to-background ratio of > 60 dB. The laser slope efficiency is > 9%. The radially and azimuthally polarized beams can be switched by adjusting the polarization controllers in the fiber ring cavity, with a high mode purity measured to be > 96%

Passively mode-locked ytterbium-doped fiber laser with cylindrical vector beam generation based on mode selective coupler

We propose and demonstrate, for the first time to the best of our knowledge, a passively mode-locked ytterbium-doped fiber laser generating cylindrical vector beams (CVBs) using a mode selective coupler (MSC) as the transverse mode converter and splitter, and a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM) for mode-locking. According to the coupling mode theory and the phase matching principle, the MSC was fabricated by weakly fused technology, having a low loss of about 0.5 dB and achieving LP11 mode with a high purity of > 96%. The CVB fiber laser operates at a center wavelength of 1042.3 nm, with a 3 dB spectral width of 1.5 nm. The repetition rate of the mode-locked laser pulses is 18.58 MHz. The radially and azimuthally polarized vector beams can be switched by adjusting the polarization controllers in the fiber ring cavity, with a high mode purity measured to be > 95%. The mode-locked CVB ytterbium-doped fiber laser has potential applications in optical tweezers, optical imaging, and so on