Abstract

In order to realize an ultrahigh-bit-rate optical soliton communication system at a few hundred gigabits per second, it has become increasingly important to investigate the characteristics of femtosecond soliton pulse propagation in an optical fiber.^1-5 These characteristics include soliton interaction and soliton self-frequency shift (SSFS), which cause serious jitter. It is already well known that polarization-division-multiplexing (PDM) is useful as a method for decreasing soliton interaction in the picosecond regime.⁶ In order to achieve ultrahigh-speed PDM soliton communication, it is important to understand soliton interaction in the femtosecond regime when the polarization direction of the soliton varies. SSFS modifies soliton interactions through soliton amplitude fluctuation. In this paper we describe the nonlinear interaction characteristics of PDM femtosecond solitons.

© 1995 Optical Society of America