Coupled-field description of zero-average dispersion management

Using a coupled-held formalism and a standard perturbation analysis, we ana lyze a dispersion-managed system under zero-average dispersion conditions. A nonlinear integral equation in the spectral domain allows the determinati on of the critical strength parameter of a two-step dispersion map. Higher- order correction terms confirm. the difference observed in the pulse shapes in each fiber and comparisons with fully numerical results reveal a good a greement. The existence of an antisymmetric dispersion-managed soliton is a lso confirmed. [S1063-651X(99)05109-0].