Bragg Soliton Polarization Evolution

Nonlinear propagation of optical pulses in fiber Bragg gratings is studied experimentally and with numerical simulations of the coupled mode equations. After a review of enhanced nonlinear interactions for pulse wavelengths near the short wavelength edge of the photonic bandgap associated with the grating, this study explores polarization evolution during nonlinear pulse propagation. Initial results for polarization instabilities and expectations for vector Bragg solitons are described.