Sub-second mode measurement of fibers using C2 imaging

We implement cross-correlated imaging in the frequency domain (fC(2)) in order to reconstruct different modes propagating in a multi-mode optical fiber, and measure their relative powers. Our system can complete measurements in under a second (950 ms), with a maximum signal to noise ratio of 25 dB. The system is capable of group-delay temporal resolution as high as 720 fs, and this number can be tailored for a variety of modal discrimination levels by choice of apodization functions and effective bandwidths of the tunable source we use. Measurements are made on a double-clad test fiber to demonstrate simultaneous reconstruction of six guided modes. Finally, the system is used to optimize alignment into the fiber under test and achieve mono-mode purity > 95%, underscoring the utility of fC(2) imaging for near-real-time modal content analysis. (C)2014 Optical Society of America