Hamiltonian framework for short optical pulses

Physics of short optical pulses is an important and active research area in nonlinear optics. In what follows we theoretically consider the most extreme representatives of short pulses that contain only several oscillations of electromagnetic field. Description of such pulses is traditionally based on envelope equations and slowly varying envelope approximation, despite the fact that the envelope is not ?slow? and, moreover, there is no clear definition of such a ?fast? envelope. This happens due to another paradoxical feature: the standard (envelope) generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equation yields very good correspondence to numerical solutions of full Maxwell equations even for few-cycle pulses, a thing that should not be. In what follows we address ultrashort optical pulses using Hamiltonian framework for nonlinear waves. As it appears, the standard optical envelope equation is just a reformulation of general Hamiltonian equations. In a sense, no approximations are required, this is why the generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equation is so effective. Moreover, the Hamiltonian framework greatly contributes to our understanding of ''fast'' envelope, ultrashort solitons, stability and radiation of optical pulses. Even the inclusion of dissipative terms is possible making the Hamiltonian approach an universal theoretical tool also in extreme nonlinear optics

Modeling of ultrashort optical pulses in nonlinear fibers

This work deals with theoretical aspects of pulse propagation. The core focus is on extreme, few-cycle pulses in optical fibers, pulses that are strongly affected by both dispersion and nonlinearity. Using Hamil- tonian methods, we discuss how the meaning of pulse envelope changes, as pulses become shorter and shorter, and why an envelope equation can still be used. We also discuss how the standard set of dispersion coefficients yields useful rational approximations for the chromatic dispersion in optical fibers. Three more specific problems are addressed thereafter. First, we present an alternative framework for ultra- short pulses in which non-envelope propagation models are used. The approach yields the limiting, shortest solitons and reveals their universal features. Second, we describe how one can manipulate an ultrashort pulse, i.e., to change its amplitude and duration in a predictable manner. Quantitative theory of the manipu- lation is presented based on perturbation theory for solitons and analogy between classical fiber optics and quantum mechanics. Last but not least, we consider a recently found alternative to the standard split-step approach for numerical solutions of the pulse propagation equations

Unusual ways of four-wave mixing instability

A pump carrier wave in a dispersive system may decay by giving birth to blue- and red-shifted satellite waves due to modulation or four-wave mixing instability. We analyse situations where the satellites are so different from the carrier wave, that the red-shifted satellite either changes its propagation direction (k 0) or even gets a negative frequency (k, ω < 0). Both situations are beyond the envelope approach and require application of Maxwell equations

Generalized Lighthill criterion for the modulation instability

An universal modulation instability is subject to Lighthill criterion: nonlinearity and dispersion should make opposite contributions to the wave frequency. Recent studies of wave instabilities in optical fibers with the minimum chromatic dispersion revealed situations in which the criterion is violated and fast unstable modulations appear due to the four wave mixing process. We derive a generalized criterion, it applies to an arbitrary dispersion and to both slow and fast unstable modulations. Since the fast modulations depend on nonlinear dispersion, we also demonstrate how to describe them in the framework of a single generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equation

Hamiltonian structure of propagation equations for ultrashort optical pulses

A Hamiltonian framework is developed for a sequence of ultrashort optical pulses propagating in a nonlinear dispersive medium. To this end a second-order nonlinear wave equation is first simplified using an unidirectional approximation. All non-resonant nonlinear terms are then rigorously eliminated using a suitable change of variables in the spirit of the canonical perturbation theory. The derived propagation equation operates with a properly defined complexification of the real electric field. It accounts for arbitrary dispersion, four-wave mixing processes, weak absorption, and arbitrary pulse duration. Thereafter the so called normal variables, i.e., classical fields corresponding to the quantum creation and annihilation operators, are introduced. Neglecting absorption we finally derive the Hamiltonian formulation. The latter yields the most essential integrals of motion for the pulse propagation. These integrals reflect the time-averaged fluxes of energy, momentum, and classical photon number transferred by the pulse. The conservation laws are further used to control the numerical solutions when calculating supercontinuum generation by an ultrashort optical pulse

Hamiltonian structure of propagation equations for ultrashort optical pulses

A Hamiltonian framework is developed for a sequence of ultrashort optical pulses propagating in a nonlinear dispersive medium. To this end a second-order nonlinear wave equation is first simplified using an unidirectional approximation. All non-resonant nonlinear terms are then rigorously eliminated using a suitable change of variables in the spirit of the canonical perturbation theory. The derived propagation equation operates with a properly defined complexification of the real electric field. It accounts for arbitrary dispersion, four-wave mixing processes, weak absorption, and arbitrary pulse duration. Thereafter the so called normal variables, i.e., classical fields corresponding to the quantum creation and annihilation operators, are introduced. Neglecting absorption we finally derive the Hamiltonian formulation. The latter yields the most essential integrals of motion for the pulse propagation. These integrals reflect the time-averaged fluxes of energy, momentum, and classical photon number transferred by the pulse. The conservation laws are further used to control the numerical solutions when calculating supercontinuum generation by an ultrashort optical pulse

Stabilization of optical pulse transmission by exploiting fiber nonlinearities

We prove theoretically, that the evolution of optical solitons can be dramatically influenced in the course of nonlinear interaction with much smaller group velocity matched pulses. Even weak pump pulses can be used to control the solitons, e.g., to compensate their degradation caused by Raman-scattering

Adiabatic theory of champion solitons

We consider scattering of small-amplitude dispersive waves at an intense optical soliton which constitutes a nonlinear perturbation of the refractive index. Specifically, we consider a single-mode optical fiber and a group velocity matched pair: an optical soliton and a nearly perfectly reflected dispersive wave, a fiber-optical analogue of the event horizon. By combining (i) an adiabatic approach that is used in soliton perturbation theory and (ii) scattering theory from Quantum Mechanics, we give a quantitative account for the evolution of all soliton parameters. In particular, we quantify the increase in the soliton peak power that may result in spontaneous appearance of an extremely large, so-called champion soliton. The presented adiabatic theory agrees well with the numerical solutions of the pulse propagation equation. Moreover, for the first time we predict the full frequency band of the scattered dispersive waves and explain an emerging caustic structure in the space-time domain

Stabilization of optical pulse transmission by exploiting fiber nonlinearities

We prove theoretically, that the evolution of optical solitons can be dramatically influenced in the course of nonlinear interaction with much smaller group velocity matched pulses. Even weak pump pulses can be used to control the solitons, e.g., to compensate their degradation caused by Raman-scattering

Spurious four-wave mixing processes in generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equations

Numerical solutions of a nonlinear Schödinger equation, e.g., for pulses in optical fibers, may suffer from the spurious four-wave mixing processes. We study how these nonphysical resonances appear in solutions of a much more stiff generalized nonlinear Schödinger equation with an arbitrary dispersion operator and determine the necessary restrictions on temporal and spatial resolution of a numerical scheme. The restrictions are especially important to meet when an envelope equation is applied in a wide spectral window, e.g., to describe supercontinuum generation, in which case the appearance of the numerical instabilities can occur unnoticed