An optical coupling system (100, 200) comprising: a tapered coupling element (110, 210) comprising; a first end opposite a second end; a core comprising a core diameter that is larger at the first end than at the second end; a cladding layer coupled to and circumscribing the core; and an optical pathway disposed within the core and extending between the first end and the second end, the optical coupling system further comprising a light source optically coupled to the first end of the tapered coupling element and configured to generate a light beam (142, 242) of a wavelength λ, wherein the tapered coupling element (110, 210) is tapered from the first end to the second end such that the core diameter adiabatically transitions the light beam (142, 242) traveling along the optical pathway from a first beam size at the first end to a second beam size at the second end, characterized in that a slope of the core diameter of the tapered coupling element (110, 210) is determined by a relationship dD dz ≤ D λ n m − n m ′, where: D is the core diameter at a location along a length of the tapered coupling element (110, 210); λ is the wavelength of the light beam (142, 242); n m is an effective index of a first mode group; n m' is the effective index of a second mode group, and z is the distance along the length of the tapered coupling element (110, 210), wherein the first mode group and the second mode group comprise adjacent mode groups of the light beam (142, 242) at the location along the length of the tapered coupling element (110, 210). a tapered coupling element (110, 210) comprising; a first end opposite a second end; a core comprising a core diameter that is larger at the first end than at the second end; a cladding layer coupled to and circumscribing the core; and an optical pathway disposed within the core and extending between the first end and the second end, a first end opposite a second end; a core comprising a core diameter that is larger at the first end than at the second end; a cladding layer coupled to and circumscribing the core; and an optical pathway disposed within the core and extending between the first end and the second end, the optical coupling system further comprising a light source optically coupled to the first end of the tapered coupling element and configured to generate a light beam (142, 242) of a wavelength λ, wherein the tapered coupling element (110, 210) is tapered from the first end to the second end such that the core diameter adiabatically transitions the light beam (142, 242) traveling along the optical pathway from a first beam size at the first end to a second beam size at the second end, characterized in that a slope of the core diameter of the tapered coupling element (110, 210) is determined by a relationship dD dz ≤ D λ n m − n m ′, where: D is the core diameter at a location along a length of the tapered coupling element (110, 210); λ is the wavelength of the light beam (142, 242); n m is an effective index of a first mode group; n m' is the effective index of a second mode group, and z is the distance along the length of the tapered coupling element (110, 210), D is the core diameter at a location along a length of the tapered coupling element (110, 210); λ is the wavelength of the light beam (142, 242); n m is an effective index of a first mode group; n m' is the effective index of a second mode group, and z is the distance along the length of the tapered coupling element (110, 210), wherein the first mode group and the second mode group comprise adjacent mode groups of the light beam (142, 242) at the location along the length of the tapered coupling element (110, 210).