Nonlinear soliton matching between optical fibers.

In this Letter, we propose a generic nonlinear coupling coefficient, η(NL)²=η|γ/β₂|(fiber2)/|γ/β₂|(fiber1), which gives a quantitative measure for the efficiency of nonlinear matching of optical fibers by describing how a fundamental soliton couples from one fiber into another. Specifically, we use η(NL) to demonstrate a significant soliton self-frequency shift of a fundamental soliton, and we show that nonlinear matching can take precedence over linear mode matching. The nonlinear coupling coefficient depends on both the dispersion (β₂) and nonlinearity (γ), as well as on the power coupling efficiency η. Being generic, η(NL) enables engineering of general waveguide systems, e.g., for optimized Raman redshift or supercontinuum generation.