Multimode interferometers: an analytical method for determining the accumulated phase difference between the fundamental mode and one arbitrary high-order mode

In multimode interferometers, the interaction between several modes brings a high level of complexity to the interpretation of its light patterns. With recent advances, it is possible to selectively excite only a couple of modes inside the device. This paper presents an analytical method for determining the phase difference between two propagating modes in the multimode interferometer, in an effort to simplify the usage and expand the range of applications for this type of optical devices.