Pulse propagation in a nonlinear dielectric slab waveguide

Abstract

The evolution of an optical pulse in a single-mode, step index dielectric slab waveguide which is characterized by an intensity dependent dielectric function in the core and cladding regions is treated by means of differential equation techniques. A cubic order non-linearity is considered. The electromagnetic field distribution in the slab waveguide region satisfies a non-linear wave equation. This field can be represented in terms of even TE guided modes with a slowly varying envelope amplitude function. Then using the well known approximation, based on the slowly varying character of the amplitude function, a non linear partial differential equation is obtained for the amplitude function. As the coefficients of this equation depend on the distance across the transverse direction X, an averaging technique over x is applied to reduce the nonlinear partial differential equation into a form that is easily transformed to the so-called non-linear Scroedinger differential equation. This equation is then attacked by means of the well known Inverse Scattering method in the case of reflection less potentials. The single and double soliton solutions are obtained explicitly for a single-mode slab waveguide. Finally numerical results are presented in the time domain.