Nonlinear pulse propagation in elliptically birefringent optical fibers

In the framework of a variational approach, we analyze nonlinear pulse propagation in a two-component nonlinear Schrodinger model of an elliptically birefringent optical fiber with reference to soliton switching. Through our approach, we also discuss stability of solitons with different polarizations and obtain a threshold condition for the soliton amplitude as a function of birefringence to bypass instability corresponding to a phase mismatch in soliton positions.