Influence of a backward reflection on low-

threshold mode instability in Yb3+-doped few-

mode fiber amplifiers
Oleg Antipov,1,2,* Maxim Kuznetsov,1 Dmitriy Alekseev,3,4 and Valentin Tyrtyshnyy3
1
Institute of Applied Physics of Russian Academy of Science, 46 Ul'yanov Street, 603950, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
2
Nizhniy Novgorod State University, 26 Gagarin Av., 603950 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
3
NTO «IRE-Polus», Vvedensky Sq.1, 141190 Fryazino Moscow Region, Russia
4
Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Institutskii per. 9, 141700 Dolgoprudny, Russia
*
oleg_antipov@yahoo.com

Abstract: An influence of backward reflection on spatio-temporal

instability of the fundamental mode in Yb3+-doped few-mode polarization
maintaining fiber amplifiers with a core diameter of 10 μm was studied
experimentally and theoretically. The mode instability threshold was
registered to decrease dramatically in the presence of a backward reflection
of the signal from the output fiber end; an increase of the signal bandwidth
or input power resulted in the increase of the threshold. Numerical
simulation revealed a self-consistent growth of the higher-order mode LP11
and a traveling index grating accompanying the population grating induced
by the mode interference field (due to different polarizability of the excited
and unexcited Yb3+ ions). The presence of the backward-propagating wave
resulted in four-wave mixing on the common index grating induced by the
interference field of pairs of the fundamental LP01 and LP11 modes.
©2016 Optical Society of America
OCIS codes: (060.2320) Fiber optics amplifiers and oscillators; (060.4370) Nonlinear optics,
fibers.

References and links

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#262592 Received 5 Apr 2016; revised 25 May 2016; accepted 31 May 2016; published 22 Jun 2016
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1. Introduction
Mode instability (MI) in Yb-doped fiber amplifiers attracted great interest in the last years due
to its limiting effect for the power scaling. The MI effect was referred to a nonlinear
transformation of power from the intense fundamental mode LP01 to the initially-weak higher-
order modes [1,2]. It was shown that this effect results in the decrease of an output beam
quality, randomization of temporal dynamics and damage of fiber splicer. The MI was
observed in large mode area fibers, in photonic crystal fibers at pump powers ranging from
several hundred watts to kilowatt, and in few-mode fibers with a relatively small core (10 μm)
and high Yb dopant concentration at the pump power of just few watts [3]. The physical
mechanism of the MI was explained by the beat of different transverse modes, which results
in the periodic intensity modulation along the fiber and subsequently in the formation of the
long-period refractive index gratings (RIGs). These gratings, in turn, enable energy transfer
between the transverse modes due to the mode coupling [1–6]. Two mechanisms of formation
of RIGs caused by population inversion (due to polarizability difference, Δp, of the excited
and unexcited Yb3+ ions) and temperature distributions induced by the modes interference
field were discussed as the main reason for the MI. The thermal gratings were found to be the
main mechanism of the MI in the large mode area fibers [4–6]. According to the vice version
the RIGs engendered by the polarizability difference are the dominant mechanism for the low-
threshold MI effect in the few-mode fibers with the 10-μm core diameter [3].
This paper is devoted to the detailed experimental investigation and theoretical modeling
of the MI effect in Yb-doped few-mode fibers with core diameter of 10 um in the presence of
a backward propagating wave (due to a backward reflection on the fiber end).
2. Experimental setup and measurement results
The polarization maintaining Yb-doped fiber (PANDA) was used as an amplifier of a linearly
polarized CW signal at 1064 nm (Fig. 1). As the input signal, we used a radiation of an
amplified single-frequency laser with the output power 1-500 mW and a bandwidth of Δλ <
0.04 nm or a fiber laser with a bandwidth varied from 0.14 to 0.5 nm. The seed radiation was
injected into the 6 meters long fiber amplifier after passing through the optical isolator. The
passive loss level of the active fiber was measured to be less than 20 dB/km at 1.15 µm. The
experimental parameters are summarized in Table 1.
An image of the active fiber end and the beam profile (from the “Mode Visualization
Plane”) were registered using a CMOS-camera (Fig. 2(a-d)). The amplified beam became
unstable when the pump power exceeded a critical level: a transformation of the fundamental
mode into the LP11 mode was clearly observed (compare Fig. 2(b) and 2(c,d)). The mode
instability power threshold (MIPT) was determined as the maximum output power registered
by power meter PM1. The MIPT was measured to be less in a perpendicular cleaved fiber
amplifier (<1 W) in comparison with an angle-cleaved active fiber (~14 W). Changing the
amplifier pump direction (from counter- to co-propagating to the signal) resulted in a small
difference (~10%) of the MIPT at the instrumental uncertainty level.

#262592 Received 5 Apr 2016; revised 25 May 2016; accepted 31 May 2016; published 22 Jun 2016
© 2016 OSA 27 Jun 2016 | Vol. 24, No. 13 | DOI:10.1364/OE.24.014871 | OPTICS EXPRESS 14872
 Fig. 1. Optical scheme of the experimental setup.
Table 1. Experimental Parameters of Active Fiber, Pump and Input Signal
Yb3+ doping Core-clad Pumping
Core Clad Signal wave-
concentra- index diode wave-
diameter, diameter, Core NA length, λs,
tion, Nd, difference, length, λp,
D, µm 2r1, µm nm
cm−3 Δncore nm
10 2.6 × 1020 125 1.1 × 10−2 0.18 975 1064

In the main experimental series, input and output of the few-mode active fiber were
spliced to the single-mode fibers. This introduces a selectivity of the fundamental mode in the
few-mode active fiber and allows the measurement of the output power without high order
modes using the power meter PM1. A photodiode near the spliced area at the amplifier output
was used to detect the intensity of the high order modes. The backward reflection (BR) from
the output passive fiber end (with variable angled cleave) provided the power controllable
backward-propagating wave, which was measured using a fiber coupler by power meter PM2.
The slope efficiency of the amplifier was excellent (> 80%) below MIPT, and dropped
abruptly at a power level above MIPT (Fig. 2(e)). MIPT was also registered by sharp increase
of the photodiode signal and appearance of the signal oscillations with modulation depth of
20-40% (Fig. 2(f)).

Fig. 2. Image of the active fiber end (a), beam shape at the end of the active fiber without MI
(b), and with MI (c,d). The LP01-mode output power vs pump power at input signal power of
43 mW (e). Photodiode signal with MI (f).

MIPT dependence on the input signal power for several bandwidths is close to linear on a
logarithmic scale (Fig. 3(a)). Its extrapolation shows the possibility of a significant increase of
MIPT at strong input signal with wide bandwidth. However, in the experiments we had
chosen the input signal parameters (power 43 mW, bandwidth 0.14 and 0.25 nm) which
provide a relatively small MIPT (~10 W) to eliminate induced stress of the isolator. The
strong MIPT decrease was found even at low level of BR (Fig. 3(b)). MIPT dependence on
the backward reflection coefficient was also linear on the logarithmic scale.

#262592 Received 5 Apr 2016; revised 25 May 2016; accepted 31 May 2016; published 22 Jun 2016
© 2016 OSA 27 Jun 2016 | Vol. 24, No. 13 | DOI:10.1364/OE.24.014871 | OPTICS EXPRESS 14873
 Fig. 3. MIPT vs input signal power for different signal bandwidths (at −60 dB of BR) (a), and
vs BR coefficient (b).

3. Numerical modeling of MI in the presence of a backward-reflected wave

In order to analyze the MI, the Yb-doped polarization maintaining phosphosilicate double-
clad fiber was modeled as the composite cylinder (with a small diameter comparing to the
length of a fiber) consisting of an Yb3+-doped core, a silica-glass pump cladding and a
polymer cladding with the parameters similar to the experimental ones (Tables 1 and 2). The
fiber was side-pumped by an additional transporting fiber in the GT-wave configuration.
Table 2. Fiber Parameters Used for Calculation
Parameter Value Reference
Emission cross section of the amplified signal, σsem, pm2 0.13 [7]
Absorption cross section of the amplified signal, σsab, pm2 0.0016 [7]
Pump absorption cross section, σpab, pm2 1.38 [7]
Emission cross section at pump wavelength, σpem, pm2 1.46 [7]
Life time of the upper 2F5/2 level, τ, ms 1.276; 1.5 [7]
Polarizability difference of Yb3+ ions at wavelength 1064 nm, Δp, cm3 1.3 × 10−26 [8]
Ratio of the real and imaginary part of susceptibility at 1064 nm, β 9.8 [9]
Energy allocated to heat from the therm 2F7/2 of Yb3+ ions, hνT, cm−1 740 [7]
Glass refractive index, n0 1.47 [10]
Derivative of refractive index with respect to temperature, ∂n/∂T, K−1 1.2 × 10−5 [8]
Glass density, ρ1, g/cm3 2.2 [10]
Specific heat capacity of glass, Cp1, cal/(g K), 0.188 [10]
Thermal conductivity of glass, K1, W/(cm·K) 0.014 [10]
Heat transfer coefficient from plastic to air, H, cal/(cm2sK) 1.2 × 10−4 [8]
External plastic-clad radius, Rpl, μm 125
Core diameter, D = 2r0, μm 8.5 - 10
Core NA 0.17 - 0.21
Signal switch-on time, ts, μs 10
Delay time of the pump switch on with respect to signal, td, μs 200
Pump switch-on time, tp, μs 5

Proposed model assumed the existence of the fundamental mode LP01 and an initially
small seed of the second mode LP11 in the fiber amplifier. The counter-propagating waves (in
the forward direction with symbol “+”, and in the backward direction with symbol “-“) were
taken into consideration. The complex amplitudes of the linear-polarized modes were
described by the expressions:

E01± = A0± ( z , t )ψ 0 ( r ) e (
i ω t  k0 z )
, (1)

E11± = ( A1± , s ( z , t ) e− i ( Ωt −ϕ ) + A1± ,as ( z , t ) ei ( Ωt −ϕ ) )ψ 1 ( r ) ei (ωt  k1 z ) , (2)

where ω and k0,1 are the frequency and propagation constants of the modes, t is time, z is the
coordinate along the fiber, r is the transverse coordinate of the fiber, φ is the polar angle, Ω is
the frequency shift of the Stokes and anti-Stokes components of the LP11 mode with complex

#262592 Received 5 Apr 2016; revised 25 May 2016; accepted 31 May 2016; published 22 Jun 2016
© 2016 OSA 27 Jun 2016 | Vol. 24, No. 13 | DOI:10.1364/OE.24.014871 | OPTICS EXPRESS 14874
amplitudes A1± , s and A1± , as , respectively; ψ 0,1 are the radial distributions of the modes:
ψ 0,1 (r ) = С0,1 J 0,1 (u0,1r r0 ) J 0,1 (u0,1 ) if r≤r0, and ψ 0,1 (r ) = С0,1 K 0,1 ( w0,1 r r0 ) K 0,1 ( w0,1 ) , if r>r0,
C0,1 are the normalizing constants, Ji and Ki are the Bessel and Macdonald functions of order
± ±
i, the constants u0,1 and w0,1 are defined by the
= r02 (n02 (2π λ ) − k0,1 − (n0 − Δn) 2 (2π λ ) ) (these parameters depend
2 2
2
Eqs.: u0,1 2 2
), w0,1 = r02 (k0,1
2

on the signal wavelength, λ), and linked by the characteristic

Eqs.: u0,1 J1,2 (u0,1 ) J 0,1 (u0,1 ) = w0,1 K1,2 ( w0,1 ) K 0,1 ( w0,1 ) [11,12]. The mode spatial structures
were assumed to be unchangeable due to nonlinear self-action and mode interaction.
The system of Eqs. for the complex amplitudes of the quasi-monochromatic modes in
weakly guiding approximation (after averaging across the fiber for the each mode) was as
follows:
∂ 1 ∂
(± + ) A 0± = A0± < ψ 02δ H 0 > + A0 < ψ 02δ H 0 e ± i 2 k0 z > + A1± , s < ψ 0ψ 1δ H 0 eiϕ ± iqz > + ,
∂z v0 ∂t
+ A1 , s < ψ 0ψ 1δ H 0 eiϕ ± isz −iΩt > + A1± , as < ψ 0ψ 1δ H 0 e −iϕ ± iqz + iΩt > + A1 , as < ψ 0ψ 1δ H 0 e − iϕ ± isz + iΩt >
(3)
∂ 1 ∂ ±,s
(± + ) A1 = A1± , s < ψ 12δ H1 > + A1 , s < ψ 12δ H1e ± i 2 k1 z > + A1± , as < ψ 12δ H1e 2iϕ + 2iΩt > + ,
∂z v1 ∂t
+ A1 , as < ψ 12δ H1e 2iϕ  i 2 k1 z + i 2 Ωt > + A0± < ψ 1ψ 0δ H1e− iϕ  iqz + iΩt > + A0 < ψ 1ψ 0δ H1e − iϕ ± isz + iΩt >
(4)
∂ 1 ∂ ± , as
(± + ) A1 = A1± , as < ψ 12δ H1 > + A1 , as < ψ 12δ H1e ± i 2 k1 z > + A1± , s < ψ 12δ H1e± i 2ϕ − 2iΩt > + ,
∂z v1 ∂t
+ A1 , s < ψ 12δ H1e  i 2 k1 z ± i 2ϕ − i 2Ωt > + A0± < ψ 1ψ 0δ H1eiϕ  iqz −iΩt > + A0 < ψ 1ψ 0δ H1eiϕ ± isz −iΩt >
(5)
1
where υ0,1 is the mode speeds, q = k0 − k1 ( q k0 << 1) , s = k0 + k1 , ... =
∞ 2π

π r02  
0 0
...rdrdφ ,

ψ 0,1
2
= 1 (from the normalization),

∂n 1
δ H 0,1 = −ik0,1δ T + ( (σ em
s
+ σ abs )δ N ex (1 + i β ) − σ abs N d ) , (6)
∂T 2

8π 2 2 Δp
where δNex is the population change of the exited state 2F5/2, β = FL s ,
λs n0 σ em + σ abs
n02 + 2
FL = is the Lorentz local-field factor.
3
The expression (6) assumed the refractive index change due to the temperature change δT
(the first summand) and the population change (the summand with the β parameter) due to Δp
in the fiber core [8,9,13]. We neglected any other nonlinear effects (stimulated Brillouin and
Raman scatterings, Kerr nonlinearity and others). To bolster this argument, the increment of
the stimulated backward Brillouin scattering was estimated to be < 1.
The excited-state population change was described by the following Eq.:

#262592 Received 5 Apr 2016; revised 25 May 2016; accepted 31 May 2016; published 22 Jun 2016
© 2016 OSA 27 Jun 2016 | Vol. 24, No. 13 | DOI:10.1364/OE.24.014871 | OPTICS EXPRESS 14875
 ∂N ex N ex N ex (σ ab + σ em ) Pp σ ab N d Pp (σ em
p p p s
+ σ abs ) I s σs N
+ + = − ( N ex − s ab d s ), (7)
∂t τ hν p Scl hν p Scl hν s σ em + σ ab

where Scl = πr12, Pp and νp are the pump power and frequency, respectively; Is is total signal
intensity (including both intensities of all modes propagating in the both directions and their
interference field).
The temperature distribution inside the core was described by the following Eq.:
∂T Κ1 hν T N ex ν p −ν s (σ em
s
+ σ abs ) I s σs N
− ∇ 2T = + ( N ex − s ab d s ), (8)
∂t ρ1C1 p ρ1C1 p τ νs ρ1C1 p σ em + σ ab

where ∇ 2 is the Laplasian, hνT is the energy of nonradiative transitions between sublevels of
the ground state 2F7/2 after spontaneous emission.
The full equation system was completed by equations for the pumping power in the active
fiber Pp and in the auxiliary fiber Pax (in the case of GT-wave fiber [14]):
∂Pp r02 ∂Pax
= (− N d σ abp + (σ em
p
+ σ abp ) δ N ex ) Pp + γ ( Pax − Pp ), = −γ ( Pax − Pp ), (9)
∂z r12 ∂z

where γ is the transformation coefficient of the pump from the auxiliary to the active fiber.
The boundary conditions assumed the existence of an initial signal in the fundamental
mode LP01 and an initially small seed of the LP11 mode on the input of the fiber amplifier (z =
0), and the reflection of the modes on the output boundary (z = L):
− +
A0,1 ( z = L) = R0,1 A0,1 ( z = L) , where R0,1 are the reflection coefficients. In the simulations
(similar to the experiments) the signal had been switched on before the pump was switched on
(the signal and pump switch-on times ts and tp, and the delay time td are presented in the Table
1). The ratio of power of the LP01 and LP11 modes at the input of the fiber amplifier was
varied from 40 to 104. The initial perturbations of the temperature and population were
assumed to be zero. To simplify the Eq. system the procedure of transformation of the higher-
order correlators to the lower-order correlators (described in our previous paper [3]) was used.
The final system of the partial derivative Eqs. (with t and z fluents) was solved using
predictor-corrected method for the coordinate and time steps.
Considering the theory of the grating formation, the LP01 and LP11 mode interference field
induces the population gratings and RIGs: the long-period RIGs are induced by interference
of the co-propagating modes, and the short-period gratings are induced by the counter-
propagating mode interference. Both the long-period and short-period RIGs can provide the
nonlinear four-wave mixing and energy transfer, similar to the bulk media [15,16]. In the
experimental conditions the signal bandwidth, Δν, was wide enough, and the signal coherence
length was less than the fiber amplifier length v0,1/Δν << 2L. Hence, the interaction of the
counter-propagating waves due to the short-period RIGs was negligibly small (we neglected
the short-period RIGs for the simulations).
The first calculation series were made for the medium-narrow bandwidth (v0,1/2L << Δν <
L−1(1/v0 - 1/v1)−1), when the LP01 and LP11 mode walk-off time on the fiber length L is less
than the signal coherence time. In that case the partial derivatives with respect to time in the
left side of the Eqs. (3)-(5) were neglected.
The numerical modeling showed that the LP11 mode can have a bigger gain than the gain
of the LP01 mode (Figs. 4(a) and (b)), and this effect is stronger in comparison with the fiber
amplifier without BR. The additional gain of the LP11 mode is explained by the nonlinear
energy transfer from the fundamental mode due to scattering on the common long-period
dynamic RIGs accompanying the population gratings induced by the interference field
components: ( A0+ A1+ as* + A0−* A1− s )ψ 0ψ 1 exp(− i Ω t − iqz + i ϕ ) ). The positive feedback between

#262592 Received 5 Apr 2016; revised 25 May 2016; accepted 31 May 2016; published 22 Jun 2016
© 2016 OSA 27 Jun 2016 | Vol. 24, No. 13 | DOI:10.1364/OE.24.014871 | OPTICS EXPRESS 14876
growth of the RIG amplitude and the LP11 mode amplitude is determined by an appropriate
phase shift (depended on the frequency detuning, Ω). The forward propagating anti-Stokes
and backward propagating Stokes components of the LP11 mode have the stronger gain
(indicating their cooperative contribution to RIG), than another wave pair. The RIG caused by
Δp was found to grow (along the fiber amplifier and in time at the output) much stronger than
the thermal RIG (Fig. 4(c) and (d)).

Fig. 4. Power of the LP01 mode (green), anti-Stokes at the optimal frequency shift, Ω (blue),
and Stokes (red) shifted LP11 mode, the pump inside the active fiber (violet) and the auxiliary
fiber (black) for forward (solid lines) and backward (dashed lines) propagating waves on the
fiber length z at the time t = 10 ms (a), and on the time in the fiber output (b) (R0 = R1 = R =
9·10−2, D = 10 µm, NA = 0.21). The amplitude of the Δp-enhanced (pink) and thermal (orange)
RIGs on the fiber length at the time t = 10 ms (c), and on the time in the fiber output (d) (the
solid lines correspond to the reflection R = 9·10−2, the dashed lines correspond to R = 0). The
pump power is 1.1 W, the input LP01 mode power P01+(z = 0) is 50 mW, the LP01 and LP11
mode power ratio (P01+(0)/P11+(0)) on the fiber input is 103.

In our experiments with the fiber-core diameter of ~10 μm the domination of the
electronic RIG over the thermal grating can be explained by rather fast erasing of the thermal
RIG due to thermal conductivity across the fiber core. The increase of the core diameter (for
the fibers with 30-μm core diameter, for example) will result in an increase of the steady-state
thermal grating amplitude, but the electronic grating amplitude decreases due to a gain
saturation. The similar nonlinear effect of the four-wave interaction by the competing
electronic and thermal RIGs accompanying the dynamic population gratings is known to exist
in the bulk crystal amplifiers and “self-starting” lasers [17,18].

Fig. 5. The output power of the LP01 mode (solid lines) and the LP11 mode (dashed lines) vs
pump power for the different reflection coefficient R at the time t (a) (P01+(0) = 5 mW;
P01+(0)/P11+(0) = 40); MIPT vs logarithmic reflection coefficient for the different input power
of the LP01 mode and the mode power ratio (t = 10 ms) (b). NA = 0.21; D = 10 µm. The LP11
mode has the optimal frequency shift.

#262592 Received 5 Apr 2016; revised 25 May 2016; accepted 31 May 2016; published 22 Jun 2016
© 2016 OSA 27 Jun 2016 | Vol. 24, No. 13 | DOI:10.1364/OE.24.014871 | OPTICS EXPRESS 14877
 The LP01–mode gain was found to strongly depend on the BR coefficient: an increase of
the reflection coefficient resulted in an increase of the higher mode increment, and the MIPT
was determined as the maximum of the LP01-mode output power before roll over (Fig. 5(a)).
The calculated MIPT grew with increase of the LP01 mode input power and with decrease of
the LP11 mode seed (Fig. 5(b)). The MIPT grew also with decrease of the core diameter and
NA. The relative gain of the LP11 mode had a maximum vs the frequency shift Ω (~few kHz)
at a low pump power. At the higher pump power this dependence had a number of maxima, in
that case the output power starts to oscillate (Fig. 6(a)). The chaotic pulsations of all
interacting waves were calculated at the bigger pump power (Fig. 6(b)).

Fig. 6. Waveform of the output powers of the fundamental LP01 mode (green), the anti-Stokes
(blue) and Stokes (red) shifted LP11 mode in the fiber output with the pump power Pax(0) =
2.8W (a) and 4.3W (b); P01+(0) = 5 mW; P01+(0)/P11+(0) = 103; R = 10−4; NA = 0.21; D = 10
µm; at the optimal frequency shift, Ω = 10.5 kHz.

For the broadband input signal when the mode walk-off time in the amplifier is more than
the coherence time (Δν > L−1(1/v0 - 1/v1)−1) the partial derivative in time in Eqs. (3)-(5) has to
be taken into consideration. The counter-propagating broadband LP01 and LP11 transverse
modes were assumed to consist of a number of the longitudinal modes. Numerical calculation
of Eqs. for the complex amplitudes of each longitudinal mode, and Eqs. for the pump,
population, temperature and their gratings showed the nonlinear power transformation from
the LP01 mode to the anti-Stokes-shifted LP11 mode. The additional nonlinear gain of the LP11
mode was found to depend on the signal bandwidth Δν, and the signal and pump powers. The
output signal power in the LP01 mode increased up to a “threshold” (Fig. 7), and the MIPT
was found to grow with increase of Δν and the mode-power ratio at the fiber input.

Fig. 7. Output power of the LP01 mode (solid lines) and the LP11 modes (the dashed and doted
lines are the anti-Stokes and Stokes components, respectively, with optimal frequency shift, Ω)
vs pump power (a), and MIPT vs the signal bandwidth, Δν (b). R = 10−2; t = 10 ms;
P11+(0)/P01+(0) = 10−3; P01+(0) = 5 mW; D = 10 µm.

4. Discussion
The numerical results for dependence of the MIPT on the reflection coefficient, the input
signal power and the signal bandwidth are in good qualitative accord with the experimental
results (compare Fig. 2(e) and Figs. 5(a) and 7(a), Fig. 3(b) and Fig. 5(b)). However, the equal
reflection coefficient R0 = R1 corresponded only to the perpendicular cleave of the fiber (with

#262592 Received 5 Apr 2016; revised 25 May 2016; accepted 31 May 2016; published 22 Jun 2016
© 2016 OSA 27 Jun 2016 | Vol. 24, No. 13 | DOI:10.1364/OE.24.014871 | OPTICS EXPRESS 14878
the anti-reflecting coating, for example). Moreover, the BR coefficient of the LP11 mode was
negligibly small due to its illumination out of the core on the splice with the single mode fiber
on the amplifier output.
The numerical simulation for different BR coefficients (R0 ≠ R1) showed that the reflection
coefficient of the narrow-band LP11 mode (R1) doesn’t strongly affect the MIPT at the fixed
R0 coefficient. The numerical simulation of MI was also made for two counter-propagating
mutually-incoherent LP01 modes without any reflection (R1 = R0 = 0), but boundary conditions
at both amplifier ends assumed the existence of the LP01 mode and the LP11 mode seeds. The
MIPT of two mutually-incoherent counter-propagating waves was found to be the same as the
MIPT in the amplifier with BR, when the BR power of the LP01 mode was equal to the power
of the backward-propagating mode at the amplifier boundary z = L (compare the green and
violet curves on Fig. 8). The independence of the MIPT of the narrow-band signal on the LP11
mode reflection coefficient R1 is explained by the mutual RIG formation of the forward-
propagating anti-Stokes and backward propagating Stokes waves (interfering with the
fundamental modes) assuming that the reflection of the Stokes and anti-Stokes waves occurs
independently.

Fig. 8. Output power of the LP01 mode (solid lines) and the LP11 modes (the dashed and doted
lines are the anti-Stokes and Stokes components, respectively, with optimal frequency shift, Ω)
vs pump power for the backward reflection R1 = R2 = 10−2 (the violet curve), or the incoherent
backward-propagating LP01 mode with power of 0.6 mW (at z = L) without any reflection but
with the LP11 seed P11-(0)/P01-(0) = 10−3 (the green curve). t = 10 ms; P11+(0)/P01+(0) = 10−3;
P01+(0) = 5 mW; D = 10 μm, NA = 0.18 (in both cases).

5. Summary
The experiments showed the strong influence of the backward reflection on the spatio-
temporal instability of the fundamental mode in the few-mode Yb3+-doped fiber amplifier
with the core diameter of 10 μm: the MIPT decreases with increase of the reflection
coefficient, and decrease of the signal input power and frequency bandwidth. The numerical
simulation indicates the nonlinear interaction of the fundamental LP01 and higher-order LP11
modes (with anti-Stokes and Stokes frequency shift) by mutual scattering (four-wave mixing)
on the common long-period RIGs induced in the fiber by the interference of the counter-
propagating mode pairs. The well-known results of four-wave mixing and instabilities of the
counter-propagating waves in bulk media indicate that the MIPT decreases in presence of the
backward propagating waves for variety of the fiber core diameters due to optical
nonlinearities of different origins (electronic, thermal or strictional nonlinearities)
[15,16,19,20].
Acknowledgments
This work was supported in part by the program of Russian Academy of Sciences “Novel
nonlinear-optical materials, structures and methods for development of laser systems with
unique characteristics”.

#262592 Received 5 Apr 2016; revised 25 May 2016; accepted 31 May 2016; published 22 Jun 2016
© 2016 OSA 27 Jun 2016 | Vol. 24, No. 13 | DOI:10.1364/OE.24.014871 | OPTICS EXPRESS 14879