DYNAMICS OF SOLITON-LIKE PULSE-PROPAGATION IN BIREFRINGENT OPTICAL FIBERS

Integrated Stokes parameters are used to describe solitonlike pulse pr opagation and its state of polarization in birefringent optical fibers . A qualitative analysis on the Poincare sphere is developed to descri be the evolution of the state of polarization of the soliton as a whol e. Simple analytic equations describing the pulse evolution are derive d in the approximation of the average profile. It is shown that two qu alitatively different regimes of propagation are possible, depending o n the material parameters and on the initial conditions. The approach takes into account the radiation processes. The results of the analyti cal approach are compared with exact numerical calculations.