NUMERICAL SCHEMES FOR OPTICAL SOLITON PROPAGATION ANALYSIS:

A TEST COMPARISON

Tauia Gornsztejn
Brazilian TelecommunicationsCo.- FMEiRATEI,
AV.Marechal Floriano, 99
E,-nnail: tgornsz@embratel.cbr Tel: +55 21 519626 Fax: +:55 21 5196561
20080-004 - Rio de Janeiro - FU - Brazil

Jot& Rodolfo Souza

Centre for T e l e c o d c a t i o n Studies - CETUC
Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro - PUC:/Rio
Rua Marq&s de S o Vimte, 225
E-mail: jmuza@cetuc.puc-rio.br Tel: +55 21 2742845 Fax: +.55 21 2945748
22453-900 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Brazil -

Abstract
Recently, a numerid scheme based on a Fourier-Seaies Approach $SA) has t w a pmposed to analyse soliton
propagation in optical fibres [ V I . A test performance has been carried out, comqming this novel technique to the
widely used Beam Propagation Method (BPM). The d t s indicate that the BPM should be preferable for its
accaracyrobustnrobustnessandfasterexecution.

1. IN”RODUCTI0N
In 1973 Hasegawa and Tappert [3] pointed out t a t single-modeoptical fibres qmating in the 1500 nm window
could support soliton propagation, by properly counteracting the effects of fibre dispersion and nonlinearties.
Wce then, a rapid development in theoretical and studies has taken place due to the potential
application of solitons in high bit-rate long distance optical am”mcation system [4].
Pulse propragationin cogtical 6bres canbe -by the Nonlinear Sc&dingm Equation (NSE). Even though
some specilk anaEytical solutions can be found by means of the Inverse Scattering Method [SI, a &cal
approach is required when the NSE assumes its gem”d form expmsed in Eq.(1X which includes second and
third-orderdispersions,fibre loss and nonlin&ties [6]-

where B = J33/qJ3zlto, r = 1&/2lJ3,l and J3, = aiJ3/aQi(i=2,3); I&T) is the pulse envelope, x represents the
normallzed distance along the pmpagation direction, T represents the “alii& time variable in a frame of
r&”e moving with the pulse at the gmupvelocity, f3 is the propagation constang B stands forthe tbinbrder
dispersian coeBicient, N is the soliton order, r and CL are7reqxctkly7the noImalized loss factor and the fibre
loss, and tois the 1/e width ofthe initial pulse.
In the follawing Sections, two numerical schemes are presented The Fomier-serieS Appmach is a recently
proposed technique [1,2], while the Beam hpgation Method has been wide* used fix soliton -on
analysk [7,8]. Acomparativetest is carxied out, basedon their performance in solving some critical problems,
including a fav that axe menable to analyticalsolution.

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 2. TEE FOURIER-SERIES APPROACH
This method expresses the pulse envelope function in terms of a Fourier series, as follows [1,2 J :
M
NYT) = p & ) e " E T )
m=-M

where &(x) is the Fourier amplitude d c i e n t , and E. the fundamentalfiquency. Substituting (2) in (l),yields:

where m is an integer - M l m l M and o(m) = m2c2/2+Bm3c3.

Eq. (3) represents a set of 2M+1 first-order partid differential equations of complex variable, which can be
separated into its real and imaginary parts, and solved by a fourth-order Runge-Kutta method [9]. The necessary
2M+l initial conditions can be obtained from Eq. (2) making A:

The final time domain solution is found using Q. (2).

Signiscant parameters of this method include the time window AT within which the. signal is sampled for the
Fourier series xpresentation, the step length for inkgation Ax and the integer M, related to the total number of
samples (2M+1).

3. THE B E Y PROPAGATION METsrOD

This methodconsistS ofpropagatingthe input field m a small distance mder the linear effect of dispersion only
and then comchng for the fibre loss and nonlinearities. Mathematically, Eq. (1) can be written in the form [6J :
&l A -
--(L+N)u (5)
ax
where and fi are differential operatom given by - sm,a*/@
= (j/Z) ) + B a3/6T3;and = pzld2-r .
Afterpropagatinga small distance Ax the sohrtian to F q (5) is given by:
u(x+~x,~)=ed~x(~+~)]u(q~~ (6)

The BPM ignores the n o n w m ~ nature

g of the operaton and fi ,approximating Eq. (6) by the following
expresson:

It catl be shown that this onleads to a cb"lerrorterm of third order in the step size Ax [6].
An analyticalsolation to the hear part can be f m d m the fresuency domain:

ii(x,a)= i i ( ~ , a ) e x f $ s d ~ a z-xjm3x I (8)

where %(&a) is the Fourier transform of the pulse envelope U(;IST) - On the other band, the nodinear part can
directly be solved in the time domain, as follows:

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 The BPM implemenlation is quite simple. The total fibre length is divided into a large number of segments of
length Ax, each of them undergoing a procecture that begins by computing 'the FFT of the initial conclition
u(x = 0,T) - The pulse is then propagated in the SreguenCy domain for a distance Ax/2 under the effects of
dispersion only, according to Eq. (8). At the middle of the segment, an inverse FFT is applied in order to come
back to the time domain and calculate the contribution of fibre loss and nonlineqities in the whole segment Ax,
according to Eq. (9). In the last stepyanother FFI'is evaluated to return to the fiwpeny domain and propagate the
field through the remaining distance 4 2 ,with dispersion only. The results thuls obtained are used as the initial
condition for the following segment and this process should be repeated until the total distance is achieved. So,
threeFlFT evaluations are needed in every step.
In order to ensure the required accuracy,the time window AT,the step size Ax, imd the number of samples in the
FFI'calculations (N=2n)should be carefidly selected.

4. A PERFORMANCE COMPAREON
An objectivecomparisonbetween the methods here presented is carried out, base01 on their performance on solving
five selected problems, which admit analytical solutions or whose numerical sol@on is well known in.-il
For each problem, bolth m e t h h have been repeatedly tested, in order to optimise their parameters. Convergence is
guaranteedby calculaling in every step the pulse energyywhich is a conservingquantity for lossiessfibres [6].
The fust problem adysed is the propagation of a soliton, when 11eitherfibre loss nor tbinkmk
dispersion are considend [4,61. Fig. (1) compares the results k m the FSA and the BPM with the analytical
solution, after a -on distance of one soliton period.Both methods give an accurate solution,but the BPM is
about 30 times fbster.
In the SecOIlcl problem, a fandamental soliton is propagated along ten periods in a 2 d B h loss fibre. Fig. (2)
shows the input and amtptpulses for both methods. Once again, results compa~ewell, but the BPM is about 20
times fasterthan the FSA
The third problem investigates soliton propagaton under the effects of third-order dispersion (p2 = O and
fL, = Ol$/km), neglecting fib^ loss, along two periods. It can be abserved in Fig. (3) that this probaem can be
accupdtly treated by both methods,but the FSA is considerably less efficient in terms of compntatioaal time
-g.
The propagation ofa second-order soliton in a fibre with neither loss nor higher-cmk dispersion is investigated in
the fourth problem. Fig.(4) shows the analyticalsolution and the results obtained by the numerical methods after a
one soliton period propagaton. While the BPM sucxxs$dy predicts the pulse evolution, results from the FSA
present great distortion from the conectsolution
In the fifth proble~~, two identical solitons are launchedinto a lossless fibre in order to obsene their mutual
interaction. Theory m ct
s a periodic evolution where adjacent pulses fust get closer and then separate apart,
returning to their original positions [4]. Fig. (5) shows the output pulses given by both methods afkr one
interaction period. white the BPM result shows a good agreement with the one predicted by theory, the FSA fails
on treating this kind ofproblem
Using aPC 8O486/DX4/1OO MHz, the CPU times usedfor each problem are listed in Table I, as well as the
respective parameters used in simulaton.

- . bet~eenFSAandBPM
Table I Compansan

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 5. CONCLUSIONS
In spite of being a simple and general method, allowing for both fibre loss and W-order dispersion analysis, it
has been shown that the FSA is not sufficiently robust to cope with either higher order solitons or soliton
interaction phenomena.
The argument that the FSA would be .faster than the BPM since it works entirely in the f k p e n c y domain [I] has
not been verified in the tests here presented It could be observed, otherwise?that a great number of sampks of the
Fourier series are necessary in order to maintain c o ~thet energy in each step. Consequent@, sets of many
difFerential equations needto be solved, makingthe FSA unacceptably slow when compared to the BPM
Whereas the BPM seems to be preferable in all the situations here analysed, the FSA may show a better
pefi0nnanc.e when the hear and nonlinear parts of the original equation cannot be solved analytically. In this
case,the BPM should be used together with some additional numerical appmximation, like the finite difference or
the finite element methods, introducing an extra source of errors, as well as increasing computational times.

L I

ij
t

V, 0.6
w

I-
z 0.4

Fig. (1) - The fundamental soliton output
wavefonn after propgatkg one soliton period,
ignoring both fibre loss and tbird-order dispersion.
The analytical result is m solid line, while results
fbm the BPM and the FSA are in circles and
mosses, xspectively-
TIME
-
Fig. (2) Input and output wavefm of a
hdamental soliton after a ten paid propagation
m a lossy fibre ( a= 2dB/km). BPM results are
m salid lines,WhileFSAs' are m ~osses.

>- 3.0
k :
92.5
w -
z r5-
!- 2.0

1.5

3.3
TIME
Fig. (3) - Input and output wavefanns of a
fimdamental soliton &erpropagating in a lossless
-
Fig. (4) S e u m d a soliton wavefonn after a
me period w o n in a fibre with neither loss
fibre%under the effects of W a d e r dispasion nor higher- dispersion. The anaIytid result
(&=O.l~/km),fortwoperiods BPMresults is m solid line, while results from the BPM and
the F S l are in circles and crosses,respec;tively.
are in solid lines, while FSAs' are m crosses.

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 Fig. ( 5 ) - Output waveform of two adjacent solitons
propagatingin a fibre with neither loss nor higher-
order dxpmon, after one interaction perioa
Results fiam the BPM and the FSA are shown m
solid and dashed lines,respectively.

6. REFERENCJS
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, 31, P 1,190-200,1995.
IEEE Journal ~ ~ - E ~ ~ c I I D ~ c s VOL
[2] K G. Shiraz and P. Slum, “Adysis of soliton in an optial fiber using a Fourier-mies
approach”, M ~ C X U Wand W ~qptical TeChn010gyLett, Vol. 8,210-212,1995.

-
131 A Hase.gawa and F. Tappert, ‘‘Trandsion of stationary non-linear ogtic;d pulses in dispersive dielectric
fibers. I. Anomaleusdispersion”, Appl. Phys. L e t , Vol. 23,142-144,1973.
[4] J. R Taylor (d)“Optical
, SOIitons - Theory and E x p e n d , Cambridge University Press, Cambridge,
1992.
r51 s. * ,“Inverse Scattering Transform for Soliton Transmission Analysis”, Optical FiM Technoiog,

Vol. 2,319-342, 1996.

[6] G. P. Agrawal,“NonlinearFiber Optics“, Academic Press,New York, 1989.
[‘I] 3. Van Roey, J. van der Donk and P.E. Lagasse, %eam--on metho& analysb and assessment‘‘, J.
Opt. Soc. Am,VoL 71,W 7,803-810,1981.
[SI D. Yevick and B. Hermansson, “Soliton amlysis with the propiig& beam method“, Optics
C ~ d c a t i ~ VOL m ,47, W 2,101-106,1983.
[9] W. H Press, B. P. Flannery, S. A TeukoLsky and W. T. Vetterling, “i?Ju”cal Recipeg, Cambridge
University Press,Cambridge, 1987.

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