Vector soliton interactions in birefringent optical fibers

Abstract

We consider the interactions of two identical, orthogonally polarized vector solitons in a nonlinear optical fiber with two polarization directions, described by a coupled pair of nonlinear Schrödinger equations. We study a low-dimensional model system of Hamiltonian ordinary differential equations (ODEs) derived by Ueda and Kath and also studied by Tan and Yang. We derive a further simplified model which has similar dynamics but is more amenable to analysis. Sufficiently fast solitons move by each other without much interaction, but below a critical velocity the solitons may be captured. In certain bands of initial velocities the solitons are initially captured, but separate after passing each other twice, a phenomenon known as the two-bounce or two-pass resonance. We derive an analytic formula for the critical velocity. Using matched asymptotic expansions for separatrix crossing, we determine the location of these ``resonance windows.’’ Numerical simulations of the ODE models show they compare quite well with the asymptotic theory.

Publication
Physical Review E
Roy Goodman
Roy Goodman
Professor, Associate Chair for Graduate Studies, Department of Mathematical Sciences

My research interests include dynamical systems and nonlinear waves, vortex dynamics, quantum graphs, and network inference