Disclosed is a field distribution converting optical fiber which can be
massproduced and enables mutual conversion elliptical field distribution
to circular field distribution or vice versa, and a laser diode module in
which the field distribution converting optical fiber is used. The optical
axis is assumed to be Z, either of the refractive index profiles of a core
in the X and Y directions of the orthogonal three axes X, Y and Z is made
into a square-law distribution profile, a slope of the refractive index
profile in the corresponding X direction is made different from a slope of
the refractive index profile in the Y direction. The optical axis
propagating in the XZ and XY planes is caused to cyclically change in the
Z direction, wherein these cycles are made different from each other to
cause the cross-sectional profile of the field distribution of the optical
fiber to be cyclically changed. The optical fiber length is made almost
coincident with the length of the common multiple between a one-fourth
cycle length of a field distribution change cycle of a light beam
propagating in the XZ plane in the Z direction and a one-fourth cycle
length of a field distribution change cycle of a light beam propagating in
the YZ plane in the Z direction, whereby optical waves having elliptical
field distribution, which are made incident into the incident side of the
optical fiber are caused to outgo from the outgoing side as circular field
distribution optical waves.