  Optical nanofibers confine light to subwavelength scales, and are of interest
for the design, integration, and interconnection of nanophotonic devices. Here
we demonstrate high transmission (> 97%) of the first family of excited modes
through a 350 nm radius fiber, by appropriate choice of the fiber and precise
control of the taper geometry. We can design the nanofibers so that these modes
propagate with most of their energy outside the waist region. We also present
an optical setup for selectively launching these modes with less than 1%
fundamental mode contamination. Our experimental results are in good agreement
with simulations of the propagation. Multimode optical nanofibers expand the
photonic toolbox, and may aid in the realization of a fully integrated
nanoscale device for communication science, laser science or other sensing
applications.
