Optical scanning endoscope via a single multimode optical fiber

Optical endoscopy has become an essential diagnostic and therapeutic approach in modern biomedicine for directly observing organs and tissues deep inside the human body,enabling non-invasive,rapid diagnosis and treatment.Optical fiber endoscopy is highly competitive among various endoscopic imaging techniques due to its high flexibility,compact structure,excellent resolution,and resistance to electromagnetic interference.Over the past decade,endoscopes based on a single multimode optical fiber(MMF)have attracted widespread research interest due to their potential to significantly reduce the footprint of optical fiber endoscopes and enhance imaging capabilities.In comparison with other imaging principles of MMF endoscopes,the scanning imaging method based on the wavefront shaping technique is highly developed and provides benefits including excellent imaging contrast,broad applicability to complex imaging scenarios,and good compatibility with various well-established scanning imaging modalities.In this review,various technical routes to achieve light focusing through MMF and procedures to conduct the scanning imaging of MMF endoscopes are introduced.The advancements in imaging performance enhancements,integrations of various imaging modalities with MMF scanning endoscopes,and applications are summarized.Challenges specific to this endoscopic imaging technology are analyzed,and potential remedies and avenues for future developments are discussed.

Active wavefront shaping for controlling and improving multimode fi ber sensor

Wavefront shaping(WFS)techniques have been used as a powerful tool to control light propagation in complex media,including multimode fibers.In this paper,we propose a new application of WFS for multimode fber-based sensors.The use of a single multimode fiber alone,without any special fabrication,as a sensor based on the light intensity variations is not an easy task.The twist effect on multimode fiber is used as an example herein.Experimental results show that light intensity through the multimode fiber shows no direct relationship with the twist angle,but the correlation coefficient(CC)of speckle patterns does.Moreover,if WFS is applied to transform the spatially seemingly random light pattern at the exit of the multimode fiber into an optical focus.The focal pattern correlation and intensity both can serve to gauge the twist angle,with doubled measurement range and allowance of using a fast point detector to provide the feedback.With further development,WFS may find potentials to facilitate the development of multimode fber-based sensors in a variety of scenarios.

Spatiotemporal mode-locked multimode fiber laser with dissipative four-wave mixing effect

The high degree of freedom and novel nonlinear phenomena of multimode fiber are attracting attention. In this work,we demonstrate a spatiotemporal mode-locked multimode fiber laser, which relies on microfiber knot resonance(MKR) via dissipative four-wave-mixing(DFMW) to achieve high-repetition-rate pulses. Apart from that, DFMW mode locking with switchable central wavelengths can also be obtained. It was further found that high pulse energy induced nonlinear effect of the dominant mode-locking mechanism transforming from DFMW to nonlinear Kerr beam cleaning effect(NL-KBC). The experimental results are valuable for further comprehending the dynamic characteristics of spatiotemporal mode-locked multimode fiber lasers, facilitating them much more accessible for applications.

Hybrid Long-Period Fiber Grating with Multimode Fiber Core for Refractive Index Measurement

A refractive index （RI） sensor based on hybrid long-period fiber grating （LPFG） with multimode fiber core （MMFC） is proposed and demonstrated. The surrounding RI can be determined by monitoring the separation between the resonant wavelengths of the LPFG and MMFC since the resonant wavelengths of the LPFG and MMFC will shift in opposite directions when the surrounding RI changes. Experimental results show that the sensor possesses an enhanced sensitivity of 526.92nm/RIU in the RI range of 1.387-1.394 RIU. The response to the temperature is also discussed.

Mid-infrared supercontinuum and optical frequency comb generations in a multimode tellurite photonic crystal fiber

We numerically investigate the mid-infrared(MIR)supercontinuum(SC)and SC-based optical frequency comb(OFC)generations when the three optical modes(LP_(01),LP_(02),and LP_(12))are considered in a multimode tellurite photonic crystal fiber(MM-TPCF).The geometrical parameters of the MM-TPCF are optimized to support the multimode propagation and obtain the desired dispersion characteristics of the considered three optical modes.When the pump pulse with center wavelengthλ=2.5μm,width T=80 fs,and peak power P=18 kW is coupled into the anomalous dispersion region of the LP_(01),LP_(02),and LP_(12)modes of the MM-TPCF,the-40-dB bandwidth of the generated MIR SCs can be up to 2.56,1.39,and 1.12 octaves,respectively,along with good coherence.Moreover,the nonlinear dynamics of the generated SCs are analyzed.Finally,the MIR SCs-based OFCs are demonstrated when a train of 50 pulses at 1-GHz repetition rate is used as the pump source and launched into the MM-TPCF.

Multimode Optical Fiber Displacement Sensor

The structure of an intensity modulation optical fiber sensor is introduced. The principle of the sensor which can detect minor displacement by use of minor curve in dark ground is described. Complex experiment shows that the multimode optical fiber not only has the abilitly of detecting the displacement of less than 0.1 nm, but also exhibits characteristics of wide dynamic range and good linearety.

Speckle backpropagation for compensation of nonlinear effects in few-mode optical fibers

We propose an alternative approach to compensation of intermodal interactions in few-mode optical fibers by means of digital backpropagation.Instead of solving the inverse generalized multimode nonlinear Schr?dinger equation,we accomplish backpropagation of the multimode signals with help of their near-field intensity distributions captured by a camera.We demonstrate that this task can successfully be handled by a deep neural network and provide a proof of concept by training an autoencoder for backpropagation of six linearly polarized[LP]modes of a step-index fiber.

Absorption efficiency of graded-index double-clad fiber lasers

Absorption efficiency of graded-index double-clad fiber lasers or amplifiers is analyzed. As ray optics method is no longer valid for graded-index case, the mode analysis method is used. Calculated results show that absorption efficiency for a graded-index is higher than that for a step-index in symmetric case. In offset core case, the graded-index can achieve the same absorption efficiency with much smaller offset distance. Absorption efficiencies for different graded-index profiles of the inner cladding are compared.

Hundred-watt level all-fiber visible supercontinuum generation from a graded-index multimode fiber

A monolithic visible supercontinuum(SC)source with a record average output power of 204 W and a spectrum ranging from580 nm to beyond 2400 nm is achieved in a piece of standard telecom graded-index multimode fiber(GRIN MMF)by designing the pumping system.The influence of the GRIN MMF length on the geometrical parameter instability(GPI)effect is analyzed for the first time,to the best of our knowledge,by comparing the SC spectral region dominated by the GPI effect under different fiber lengths.Our work could pave the way for robust,cost-effective,and high-power visible SC sources.

Temperature Compensated Solution Concentration Measurement Based on a Cascaded SMS/LPFG Fiber Structure

In this paper, a hybrid optical fiber structure for solution concentration measurement with the temperature compensation is proposed. The structure consists of long period fiber grating (LPFG) and single mode-multimode-single mode (SMS) fiber structures. The sensing mechanism of the device is studied and verified by experiments. LPFG is sensitive to solution concentration and is affected by temperature crosstalk. SMS structure is not affected by solution concentration, but sensitive to ambient temperature. It can be used as a temperature compensation system. The sensitivity coefficients of LPFG and SMS on temperature and concentration were measured experimentally, and a dual-wavelength matrix was established to realize simultaneous measurement of solution temperature and concentration.

Transverse-mode controlling of a large-mode-area multimode fiber laser

Coiling technique is used to control the transverse mode of a large-mode-area （LMA） multimode fiber laser. By winding the fiber to a coil with different radius, high-order modes of a multimode fiber laser are suppressed one by one and finally 15.4-W single-transverse-mode output is achieved when the coil radius is 20 mm. It is found that as the coil radius decreases, the beam quality of a multimode fiber laser gets better but the slope efficiency drops for higher-order modes are discriminated. During the experiment, as the coil radius of multimode fiber changes, output characteristic of the laser has been measured. Meanwhile, the mode loss of different modes is calculated theoretically. It is proved that the experimental measured results fit well with the theoretically calculated results.

Generation of tunable multi-wavelength optical short pulses using self-seeded Fabry-Perot laser diode and tilted multimode fiber Bragg grating

We experimentally demonstrate the simultaneous generation of tunable multi-wavelength picosecond laser pulses using a self-seeding configuration that consists of a gain-switched Fabry-Perot laser diode （FPLD） with an external cavity formed by a tilted multimode fiber Bragg grating. Dual- and triple-wavelength pulses are obtained and tuned in a flexible manner by changing the temperature of the FPLD. The side mode suppression ratio larger than 25 dB is achieved at different dual- and triple-wavelengths and the typical pulsewidth of the output pulses is ,-70 ps. In the experiment, the wavelength separation can be narrowed to 0.57 nm.

Fast-forming focused spots through a multimode fiber based on an adaptive parallel coordinate algorithm

We propose an adaptive parallel coordinate （APC） algorithm for quickly forming a series of focused spots at a multimode fiber （MMF） output by controlling the MMF input field with a spatial light modulator （SLM）. Only passing over the SLM once, we can obtain SLM reflectance to form focused spots on different positions. Com- pared with the transmission matrix method, our APC does not. require iterations and massive calculations. The APC does not require as much access device time as the adaptive sequential coordinate ascent （SCA） algorithm. The experiment results demonstrate that the time taken to form 100 spots with our APC is 1/54th the time with the SCA.

Two-dimensional overlapping-image multimode interference couplers

The overlapping-imaging effect of one-dimensional (1D) multimode interference (MMI) coupler is widened to study the two-dimensional (2D) MMI coupler. 2D overlapping-image MMI couplers permit uniform and nonuniform 2D power splitting. Analytical formulas are derived for the intensities and phases of the overlapping-images at the end of MMI section. The overlapping-imaging properties in 2D MMI couplers are also concluded. And the guided-mode propagation analysis method is used to confirm the analytical results.

High power low-order modes operation of a multimode fiber laser

Coiling technique is used to suppress high-order modes of a large mode area （LMA） double clapt multimode fiber. Output powers and beam quality factors M^2 are measured under two different coiling radii. 217 W with M^2 of 2.96 can be obtained for coiling radius of 165 mm and 160 W with M^2 of 1.38 for 52 mm. The corresponding slope efficiencies are 60% and 48%. With smaller coiling radius, the brightness is 3.4 times as high as that of the larger one.

Generation of a hollow laser beam by a multimode fiber

A simple method to generate a hollow laser beam by multimode fiber is reported. A dark hollow laser beam is generated from a multimode fiber and the dependence of the output beam profile on the incident angle of laser beam is analyzed. The results show that this hollow laser beam can be used to trap and guide cold atoms.

Single-mode output by controlling the spatiotemporal nonlinearities in mode-locked femtosecond multimode fiber lasers

The performance of fiber mode-locked lasers is limited due to the high nonlinearity induced by the spatial confinement of the single-mode fiber core.To massively increase the pulse energy of the femtosecond pulses,amplification is performed outside the oscillator.Recently,spatiotemporal mode-locking has been proposed as a new path to fiber lasers.However,the beam quality was highly multimode,and the calculated threshold pulse energy(>100 nJ)for nonlinear beam self-cleaning was challenging to realize.We present an approach to reach high energy per pulse directly in the mode-locked multimode fiber oscillator with a near single-mode output beam.Our approach relies on spatial beam self-cleaning via the nonlinear Kerr effect,and we demonstrate a multimode fiber oscillator with M^2<1.13 beam profile,up to 24 nJ energy,and sub-100 fs compressed duration.Nonlinear beam self-cleaning is verified both numerically and experimentally for the first time in a mode-locked multimode laser cavity.The reported approach is further power scalable with larger core sized fibers up to a certain level of modal dispersion and could benefit applications that require high-power ultrashort lasers with commercially available optical fibers.

Single fiber dual-functionality optical tweezers based on graded-index multimode fiber

We propose and demonstrate single fiber dual-functionality optical tweezers based on a graded-index multimode fiber. By using the multi-angle fiber grinding and polishing technology, we fabricate the multimode fiber tip to be a special tapered shape, contributing to focus the outgoing beam with a large intensity gradient for the first functionality--three-dimensional contactless trapping of a microparticle. By adjusting the radial direction offset between the lead-in single mode fiber and the graded-index multimode fiber, we perform the second functionality--axial shift of the trapped microparticle with respect to the fiber tip without need of moving the fiber probe itself. It is convenient for practical applications, The theoretical and experimental results about the relationship between the radial offset and the equilibrium positions of the microparticle have the good consistency. Tailoring the trap and axial shift of the microparticle based on the graded-index multimode fiber provides convenient avenues for fiber optical tweezers a~）Dlied in practical researches.

Fiber-optic Fabry-Prot strain sensor based on graded-index multimode fiber

By using a graded-index multimode fiber （GI-MMF） with a relatively flat index profile and high refractive index of the fiber core, a microextrinsic fiber-optic Fabry Prot interferometric （MEFPI） strain sensor is fabricated through chemical etching and fusion splicing. Higher reflectance of the microcavity is obtained due to the less-curved inner wall in the center of the fiber core after etching and higher index contrast between the GI-MMF core and air. The maximum reflection of the sensor is enhanced 12 dB than that obtained by etching of the Er- or B-doped fibers. High fringe contrast of 22 dB is obtained. The strain and temperature responses of the MEFPI sensors are investigated in this experiment. Good linearity and high sensitivity are achieved, with wavelength-strain and wavelength-temperature sensitivities of 7.82 pm/με and 5.01 pm/°C, respectively.

Shaping the light amplified in a multimode fiber

Propagation of light in multimode optical fibers usually gives a spatial and temporal randomization of the transmitted field similar to the propagation through scattering media.Randomization still applies when scattering or multimode propagation occurs in gain media.We demonstrate that appropriate structuration of the input beam wavefront can shape the light amplified by a rareearth-doped multimode fiber.Profiling of the wavefront was achieved by a deformable mirror in combination with an iterative optimization process.We present experimental results and simulations showing the shaping of a single sharp spot at different places in the output cross-section of an ytterbium-doped fiber amplifier.Cleaning and narrowing of the amplifier far-field pattern was realized as well.Tailoring the wavefront to shape the amplified light can also serve to improve the effective gain.The shaping approach still works under gain saturation,showing the robustness of the method.Modeling and experiments attest that the shaping is effective even with a highly multimode fiber amplifier carrying up to 127 modes.