title: Analysis of optical pulse propagation with two-by-two (ABCD) matrices.
abstract: We review and extend the analogies between Gaussian pulse propagation and Gaussian beam diffraction. In addition to the well-known parallels between pulse dispersion in optical fiber and cw beam diffraction in free space, we review temporal lenses as a way to describe nonlinearities in the propagation equations, and then introduce further concepts that permit the description of pulse evolution in more complicated systems. These include the temporal equivalent of a spherical dielectric interface, which is used by way of example to derive design parameters used in a recent dispersion-managed soliton transmission experiment. This formalism offers a quick, concise, and powerful approach to analyzing a variety of linear and nonlinear pulse propagation phenomena in optical fibers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical Engineering, 136-93 California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA. shayan@caltech.edu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mookherjea
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yariv