Characterization of the complex spatiotemporal dynamics of optical beam propagation in nonlinear multimode fibers requires the development of advanced measurement methods, capable of capturing the real-time evolution of beam images. We present a new space–time mapping technique, permitting the direct detection, with picosecond temporal resolution, of the intensity from repetitive laser pulses over a grid of spatial samples from a magnified image of the output beam. By using this time-resolved mapping, we provide, to the best of our knowledge, the first unambiguous experimental observation of instantaneous intrapulse nonlinear coupling processes among the modes of a graded index fiber.
Y. Leventoux, G. Granger, K. Krupa, A. Tonello, G. Millot, M. Ferraro, F. Mangini, M. Zitelli, S. Wabnitz, S. Février, V. Couderc, “3D time-domain beam mapping for studying nonlinear dynamics in multimode optical fibers,” Optics Letters 46, p. 66-69 (2021) https://doi.org/10.1364/OL.411868