Long-range spatio-temporal correlations in multimode fibers for pulse delivery

Nat Commun. 2019 Jul 5;10(1):2973. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-10916-4.

Abstract

Long-range correlations play an essential role in wave transport through disordered media, but have rarely been studied in other complex systems. Here we discover spatio-temporal intensity correlations for an optical pulse propagating through a multimode fiber with strong random mode coupling. Positive long-range correlation arises from multiple scattering in fiber mode space and depends on the statistical distribution of arrival times. By optimizing the incident wavefront of a pulse, we maximize the power transmitted at a selected time, and such control is significantly enhanced by the long-range spatio-temporal correlation. We provide an explicit relation between the correlation and the power enhancement, which agrees with experimental results. Our work shows that multimode fibers provide a fertile ground for studying complex wave phenomena. The strong spatio-temporal correlation can be employed for efficient power delivery at a well-defined time.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.