Influence of the fiber index profile on vectorial fiber modes and application to tapered fiber devices

The correspondence between the scalar modes LP and the nearly degenerate true vectorial modes in circular two-layer fibers is well established. For example, LP/sub 21/ corresponds to a combination of EH/sub 11/ and HE/sub 31/, while LP/sub 02/ is composed only of HE/sub 12/. For the multilayer fibers, inversion of the correspondences for certain modes can occur. We illustrate this inversion for a three-layer fiber. We propose a method permitting to distinguish the hybrid modes HE/sub /spl nu//spl mu// and EH/sub /spl nu//spl mu// in such fibers and we show the possibility of major taper-induced power coupling between these modes in SMF-28 fiber.