Characterization of Multimode Soliton Self-Frequency Shift

Optical solitons in multimode fibers exhibit complex dynamics, and peculiar characteristics in terms of pulse duration and energy, which distinguish them from their single-mode counterparts. We propose a theory for Raman-induced soliton self-frequency shift in multimode fibers, that is compared against experimental data of 1-km multimode soliton propagation. Specific values of pulsewidth and energy are found, at which solitons show long-distance stability and better correspondence with the theory of self-frequency shift; those values depend on the input wavelength, but are not related to the duration of the input pulse. Raman delay is affected by a jitter, characterized by a Gaussian statistical distribution, whose standard deviation tends to stabilize to a constant value for increasing pulse energies.

Automated summary

Optical solitons in multimode fibers have unique characteristics in terms of pulse duration and energy, which distinguishes them from solitons in single-mode fibers. This study proposes a theory for the Raman-induced soliton self-frequency shift in multimode fibers, and compares it with experimental data. The results show that specific values of pulsewidth and energy can lead to long-distance stability and better agreement with the theory of self-frequency shift, regardless of the input pulse duration. The Raman delay is affected by a jitter characterized by a Gaussian statistical distribution, with a stabilizing standard deviation for increasing pulse energies.