Origin of the bound states of pulses in the stretched-pulse fiber laser

A simple analytical model of the mechanism responsible for the formation of bound states of pulses in the stretched-pulse fiber laser is given. The proposed model is based on a noncoherent interaction occurring between the pulses near their position of maximum stretch within the dispersion-managed cavity, where the pulses possess a large linear chirp. This nonlinear interaction is due to the combined effects of the cross-phase modulation and the cross-amplitude modulation caused by the nonlinear gain associated with the mode-locking mechanism used in the laser. This model predicts the existence of a single bound state with a separation of the order of the pulsewidth at maximum stretch, a result consistent with simulations and experiments. (C) 2009 Optical Society of America