title: Temporal modulation of spatial optical solitons.
abstract: A variational method is used to investigate temporal effects that are experimentally observed in the propagation of spatial solitons in planar systems. These effects appear when the laser beam used to reach the soliton propagation regime is pulsed. In the absence of dispersion, the three-dimensional equation of propagation, including two space and one time variable, becomes a two-dimensional spatial equation. Time is included as a parameter that determines the initial value problem. The main effect derived is a temporal modulation on the spatial width of the soliton. This modulation depends crucially on the temporal envelope shape. The interest of these results is concerned with the potential use of spatial solitons for making gradient-index systems with a controllable index profile.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Michinel
authors.forename: R de L
authors.initials: Rde L
authors.lastname: Fuente
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liñares