PULSE COLLISIONS AND POLARIZATION CONVERSION FOR OPTICAL FIBERS

Axisymmetric fibres support linearly and circularly polarised sech pul ses and also elliptically polarised pulses having more complicated pro file. Collisions between any two such pulses are studied numerically. Large collision speed causes little radiation, but appreciable pulse e llipticity changes. Smaller relative speed gives imperfect collision f or nearly-orthogonal, linearly polarised pulses. Critical parameter ra nges yield pulse annihilation, but small ellipticity adjustment restor es two emergent pulses.