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A simple technique for transverse mode selection in a large-mode-area (multimode) fiber laser is described. The technique exploits the different spectral responses of feedback elements based on a fiber Bragg grating and a volume Bragg grating to achieve wavelength-dependent mode filtering. This approach has been applied to a cladding-pumped thulium-doped fiber laser with a multimode core to achieve a single-spatial-mode output beam with a beam propagation factor (M2) of 1.05 at 1923 nm. Without mode selection the free-running fiber laser has a multimode output beam with an M2 parameter of 3.3. Selective excitation of higher order modes is also possible via the technique and preliminary results for laser oscillation on the LP11 mode are also discussed along with the prospects for scaling to higher power levels.

We explore the properties of a novel stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) filtering fiber for high average or high peak optical power delivery applications. The fiber geometry is based on a series of circularly arranged high index rods embedded in a leaky silica cladding. The operation principle relies on the resonant coupling of the core and rod modes and the wavelength dependent leaking of the structure. The fabricated fiber demonstrated wide transmission window and filtering of SRS with extinction in excess of 20dB at the Raman Stokes wavelength, excellent robustness with bending, and high output beam quality. The fiber has been tested as a beam delivery fiber of a commercial pulsed fiber laser system in order to explore the filtering performance and its limitations.

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The responsivity of optical fibers to refractive index can be enhanced using high-order skew rays compared with using meridional rays. Skew rays can have a much higher number of reflections with increased interaction length along the core-cladding interface, which gives rise to stronger interactions with the external medium. Reflection/transmission-type refractometric sensors based on twin-coupled-core and multimode fibers showed one/two orders of magnitude increase in responsivity with skew ray excitation. The responsivity and sensitivity for the two types are ~2000%/RIU, ~1400%/RIU, and 4.9×10⁻⁵  RIU, 7.0×10⁻⁵  RIU, respectively.