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Abstract

When an optical pulse is spatially localized in a highly multimoded waveguide, its energy is typically distributed among a multiplicity of modes, thus giving rise to a speckled transverse spatial profile that undergoes erratic changes with propagation. It has been suggested theoretically that pulsed multimode fields in which each wavelength is locked to an individual mode at a prescribed axial wave number will propagate invariantly along the waveguide at a tunable group velocity. In this conception, an initially localized field remains localized along the waveguide. Here, we provide proof-of-principle experimental confirmation for the existence of this new class of pulsed guided fields, which we denote space-time supermodes, and verify their propagation invariance in a planar waveguide. By superposing up to 21 modes, each assigned to a prescribed wavelength, we construct space-time supermodes in a 170-micron-thick planar glass waveguide with group indices extending from 1 to 2. The initial transverse width of the field is 6 microns, and the waveguide length is 9.1 mm, which is 257x the associated Rayleigh range. A variety of axially invariant transverse spatial profiles are produced by judicious selection of the modes contributing to the ST supermode, including single-peak and multi-peak fields, dark fields (containing a spatial dip), and even flat uniform intensity profiles.

Details

1009240
Identifier / keyword
Title
Propagation-invariant space-time supermodes in a multimode waveguide
Publication title
arXiv.org; Ithaca
Publication year
2022
Publication date
Apr 4, 2022
Section
Physics (Other)
Publisher
Cornell University Library, arXiv.org
Source
arXiv.org
Place of publication
Ithaca
Country of publication
United States
University/institution
Cornell University Library arXiv.org
e-ISSN
2331-8422
Source type
Working Paper
Language of publication
English
Document type
Working Paper
Publication history
 
 
Online publication date
2022-04-06
Milestone dates
2022-04-04 (Submission v1)
Publication history
 
 
   First posting date
06 Apr 2022
ProQuest document ID
2647479022
Document URL
https://www.proquest.com/working-papers/propagation-invariant-space-time-supermodes/docview/2647479022/se-2?accountid=208611
Full text outside of ProQuest
Copyright
© 2022. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.
Last updated
2022-04-07
Database
ProQuest One Academic