Loss effects in the spectra of polarization modulational instability in weakly birefringentoptical fibers

Abstract

We analyze the effects induced by material absorption in the spectra of polarizationmodulational instability in weakly birefringent optical fibers. We show that a largeabsorption of the pump wave may cause significant decreases of the growth of sidebands inthe modulational instability process. This drop of gain is accompanied by a driftof the sideband frequencies. We demonstrate a technique for suppressing thesefrequency drifts, which is based on the use of fiber systems having a dispersion and abirefringence that decrease simultaneously and exponentially along the system.