Pulse-spread minimization in single-mode optical fibers

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The propagation of optical pulses in single-mode nonlinear dispersive fibers in the vicinity of the zero-dispersion wavelength has to take into account the third-order dispersion term. We show that, for short dispersion, the broadening of the pulses, described by the rms and full width at half maximum pulse width evolution, is reduced by a red shift from the zero-dispersion wavelength. Numerical resolution of the associated propagation equation, for initially 1.2-ps Gaussian pulses, shows that this spreading reduction remains valid to a few tenths of kilometers of propagation. Wavelength shift evaluations are obtained in a very simple way, by use of a moment expansion near the origin of propagation. A simple (nonexhaustive) explanation of the time-domain and Fourier-domain pulse evolution, based on the comparison of the phase velocities with the group and pulse mass-center velocities is proposed.