Instability of the Multimode Fiber Frequency Response Beyond the Baseband for Coherent Sources

Fluctuations of the multimode fiber (MMF) frequency response beyond the baseband are observed experimentally when highly coherent light sources are used. This behavior is caused by the variation of the mode group powers caused by the relative modal phase fluctuation combined with spatial filtering at elements such as nonideal connectors. The observed effect may have vital influence on subcarrier multiplexing systems operation outside the baseband of the MMF. The effect is investigated both theoretically and experimentally.