Nonlinear pulse propagation in the neighborhood of the zero dispersion wavelength of single-mode fibers

It is the purpose of this paper to investigate the effect of the third-order dispersion on the propagation of the fundamental soliton and the two and three breathers in the vicinity of the zero dispersion wavelength. Realistic losses (0.4 dB/km at 1.27 μm) are also included. Numerical simulation reveals that the third-order dispersion excites radiation which splits off from the main pulse. Such radiation is found to have little effect on the fundamental soliton for a 1-ps pulse, when λ - λ/sub 0/ > 0.002 μm. However, for breathers, the effect of dispersion dominates, when λ -λ/sub 0/ < 0.01 μm for the two breather and λ - λ/sub 0/ < 0.03 μm for the three breather. They break up into their constituent solitons in a fraction of a kilometer. it follows that the fundamental soliton is the only practical choice for a realistic communication system operating near the zero dispersion wavelength. However, the pulses break up only after the first pulse contraction. Hence it is possible to produce short pulses using methods close to the zero dispersion wavelength