Random Mode Coupling Assists Kerr Beam Self-Cleaning in a Graded-Index Multimode Optical Fiber

TL;DR

This study explores how random mode coupling influences Kerr beam self-cleaning in graded-index multimode optical fibers, combining numerical simulations with experimental validation to understand the process better.

Contribution

It introduces and analyzes different models of random linear mode coupling and demonstrates their effects on beam self-cleaning, supported by numerical and experimental results.

Findings

Random mode coupling enhances beam self-cleaning.

Models with coupling between all modes match experimental data.

Degenerate mode coupling also influences the self-cleaning process.

Abstract

In this paper, we numerically investigate the process of beam self-cleaning in a graded-index multimode optical fiber, by using the coupled-mode model. We introduce various models of random linear coupling between spatial modes, including coupling between all modes, or only between degenerate ones, and investigate the effects of random mode coupling on the beam self-cleaning process. The results of numerical investigations are in complete agreement with our experimental data.