Dynamics of short intense pulse propagation in dispersive media

Abstract

ABSTRACT We develop a method to precisely propagate short optical pulses through dispersive media with a cubic self-focusingnonlinear polarization. We show that above the critical cw self-focusing power, onset of pulse splitting into pulselets separated in time occurs, and for a certain regime of parameters a cyclic series of pulse splitting (into pulseletsseparated in time) and pulse reconibination occurs for diffraction length smaller than dispersion length. At higherpower, (Another threshold for non-cyclic temporal and spatial pulse splitting is manifest. The physics of these phe- nomena are described and (lelineated. We then incorporate self-steepening and self-freciuency shifting. These effects can significantly affect pulse propagation dynamics, both in the normal but especially in the anomalous dispersionregimes. The nature of the dynairiics is significantly (liffernt in the two regimes. E(eywords : Nonlinear optics , self-focusing ,\/ (3) media, i )ulse s.)litting , clispersioii