ABSTRACT

This chapter reviews the physics underlying the generation of such pulses as well as the results obtained in a wide range of experimental configurations. It introduces the key model governing optical pulse propagation in a nonlinear optical fiber and its quasi-classical solutions in the normal regime of dispersion. The chapter discusses the nonlinear reshaping of a pulse into a parabolic intensity profile. It outlines the key properties of parabolic similaritons. The chapter highlights some novel applications that have taken advantage of the intrinsic properties of parabolic pulses. Parabolic pulses in optical fibers have several remarkable properties which have stimulated an increasing number of applications in nonlinear optics. The unique properties of parabolic similaritons have stimulated numerous applications ranging from high-power ultrashort pulse generation to optical nonlinear processing of telecommunication signals.