title: Polarization instability, steering, and switching of discrete vector solitons.
abstract: We study the dynamics of discrete vector solitons in arrays of weakly coupled birefringent optical waveguides with cubic nonlinear response. We start with a modulational instability analysis, followed by approximate analytical solutions in the form of strongly localized modes. Next, we compute the effective Peierls-Nabarro potential for these modes and obtain the spatial average of the power transfer between both polarizations modes as a function of their relative phase. Finally, we combine the concepts of polarization mode instability with discreteness-induced beam trapping by the array, and demonstrate numerically the amplification of a weak signal by a strong pump of the other polarization, combined with simultaneous discretized all-optical switching.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 653, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Rodrigo A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Vicencio
authors.forename: Mario I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Molina
authors.forename: Yuri S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Kivshar