Non-uniform modal power distribution caused by disorder in multimode fibers

TL;DR

This paper investigates how disorder in multimode fibers causes non-uniform modal power distributions, favoring lower-order modes, and describes this phenomenon using a weighted Bose-Einstein law through experimental and numerical methods.

Contribution

It demonstrates that fiber disorder alone can induce steady states with non-uniform modal power distributions, advancing understanding of modal dynamics in multimode fibers.

Findings

Disorder leads to non-uniform modal power distributions.

Lower-order modes are promoted at higher-order modes' expense.

Steady states follow a weighted Bose-Einstein law.

Abstract

The evolution of modal crosstalk in multimode fibers is investigated using four different experimental and numerical approaches. Results converge to demonstrate that the fiber disorder alone is capable of generating steady states characterized by non-uniform modal power distributions, which promote the lower-order modes at the expenses of the higher-order ones and are properly described by a weighted Bose-Einstein law.