Open AccessKerr self-cleaning of femtosecond-pulsed beams in graded-index multimode fiber
Author(s) -
Zhanwei Liu,
Logan G. Wright,
Demetrios N. Christodoulides,
Frank W. Wise
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
optics letters/optics index
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.524
H-Index - 272
eISSN - 1071-2763
pISSN - 0146-9592
DOI - 10.1364/ol.41.003675
Subject(s) - multi mode optical fiber , ultrashort pulse , optics , femtosecond , self focusing , materials science , pulse (music) , beam (structure) , pulse duration , fiber , femtosecond pulse shaping , refractive index profile , self phase modulation , core (optical fiber) , optical fiber , nonlinear optics , physics , laser , laser beams , detector , composite material
We observe a nonlinear spatial self-cleaning process for femtosecond pulses in graded-index (GRIN) multimode fiber (MMF). Pulses with ∼80 fs duration at 1030 nm are launched into GRIN MMF with 62.5 μm core. The near-field beam profile at the output end of the fiber evolves from a speckled pattern to a centered, bell-shaped transverse structure with increasing pulse energy. The experimental observations agree well with numerical simulations, which show that the Kerr nonlinearity underlies the process. This self-cleaning process may find applications in ultrafast pulse generation and beam-combining.