Chromato-axial memory effect in step-index multimode fibers

Abstract

Multimode fibers (MMFs) are used in many applications from telecommunications to minimally invasive micro-endoscopic imaging. However, the numerous modes and their coupling make light-beam control and imaging a delicate task. To circumvent this difficulty, recent methods exploit priors about the transmission of the system, such as the so-called optical memory effect. In this paper, we quantitatively characterize a chromato-axial memory effect in step-index MMFs, characterized through its slope δz/δλ and its spectral and axial widths. We propose a theoretical model and numerical simulations that are in good agreement with experimental observations.