Mode excitation in circularly symmetric graded-index optical fibers by focused gaussian beams

Abstract

Field distributions and propagation constants of modes in weakly guiding circularly symmetric optical waveguides having arbitrary radial refractive index distribution are determinable from a variational analysis, which uses the solution of the scalar wave equation for the infinitely extended parabolic refractive index profile as a reference (Laguerre-Gaussian functions). The power coupling coefficients of the power, which is transferred from a focused Gaussian beam to an LP_vp-mode, depend on frequency and on four normalized launching parameters. Once the field-describing matrix equation has been solved numerically, closed-form expressions are obtained. The condition for optimal matching of the fundamental mode is given, and it is found that the maximum power excitation coefficient may be close to 100% even for substantially disturbed profiles.