Mode Selective Conversion Enabled by the Long-Period Gratings Inscribed in Elliptical Core Few-Mode Fiber

Abstract

We demonstrate the fabrication of long-period fiber gratings (LPFGs) in an elliptical core few-mode fiber (e-FMF) by CO2 laser. The mode conversion from fundamental mode to high-order modes (LP11a, LP11b, and LP21a mode) can be realized by the LPFGs with high efficiency of more than 95%. The effect of bending, torsion, temperature, and strain on the resonance wavelength of the e-FMF based LPFG mode converters are experimentally investigated. The temperature and strain sensitivities of the LPFGs are characterized to be −36 pm/°C and −4.9 pm/μϵ, and the LPFGs are found to be insensitive to the bending and torsion. Due to the existence of trench in the e-FMF, the higher-order LP02 and LP31a mode can also be stimulated by the e-FMF based LPFGs with a grating period of 515 μm and 400 μm, respectively. The proposed e-FMF based LPFGs could have a promising prospect in the application of fiber sensing and mode division multiplexing optical communication system.