Geometric phase due to orbit–orbit interaction: rotating LP11 modes in a two-mode fiber

Abstract

Accumulation of geometric phase due to non-coplanar propagation of higher-order modes in an optical fiber is experimentally demonstrated. Vertically-polarized LP11 fiber mode, excited in a horizontally-held, torsion-free, step-index, two-mode optical fiber, rotates due to asymmetry in the propagating k-vectors, arising due to off-centered beam location at the fiber input. Perceiving the process as due to rotation of the fiber about the off-axis launch position, the orbital Berry phase accumulation upon scanning the launch position in a closed-loop around the fiber axis manifests as rotational Doppler effect, a consequence of orbit–orbit interaction. The anticipated phase accumulation as a function of the input launch position, observed through interferometry is connected to the mode rotation angle, quantified using the autocorrelation method.