Mode volume
Encyclopedia
In fiber optics, mode volume is the number of bound modes
that an optical fiber
is capable of supporting.
The mode volume M is approximately given by
and 
, respectively for step-index
and power-law index profile fibers, where g is the profile parameter, and V is the normalized frequency
, which must be greater than 5 for this approximation to be valid.
Transverse mode
A transverse mode of a beam of electromagnetic radiation is a particular electromagnetic field pattern of radiation measured in a plane perpendicular to the propagation direction of the beam...
that an optical fiber
Optical fiber
An optical fiber is a flexible, transparent fiber made of a pure glass not much wider than a human hair. It functions as a waveguide, or "light pipe", to transmit light between the two ends of the fiber. The field of applied science and engineering concerned with the design and application of...
is capable of supporting.
The mode volume M is approximately given by
and , respectively for step-indexStep-index profile
For an optical fiber, a step-index profile is a refractive index profile characterized by a uniform refractive index within the core and a sharp decrease in refractive index at the core-cladding interface so that the cladding is of a lower refractive index. The step-index profile corresponds to a...
and power-law index profile fibers, where g is the profile parameter, and V is the normalized frequency
Normalized frequency
Normalized frequency can refer to:* Normalized frequency * Normalized frequency , also known as V number...
, which must be greater than 5 for this approximation to be valid.