Coherent beam transformations using multimode waveguides

Physical insights and characteristics of beam transformations based on multimode interference (MMI) in multimode waveguides are illuminated and analyzed. Our calculations show that, utilizing a short piece of cylindrical multimode waveguide, an input Gaussian beam can be readily transformed to frequently desired beams including top-hat, donut-shaped, taper-shaped, and Bessel-like beams in the Fresnel or the Fraunhofer diffraction range, or even in both ranges. This is a consequence of diffractive propagation of the field exiting the waveguide. The performance of the beam shaper based on MMI can be controlled via tailoring the dimensions of the multimode waveguide or changing the signal wavelength. This beam shaping technique is investigated experimentally using monolithic fiber devices consisting of a short piece of multimode fiber (similar to 10 mm long) and a single-mode signal delivery fiber. (C) 2010 Optical Society of America