Degenerate-cross-phase modulation of femtosecond laser pulses in a birefringent single-mode optical fiber

Degenerate-cross-phase modulation has been observed for femtosecond laser pulses propagating through a short birefringent single-mode optical fiber. The difference in the spectral broadening of the two output polarization components of a single laser pulse was attributed to the combination of self-phase modulation and degenerate-cross-phase modulation processes in the optical fiber. Theoretical simulations based on the solutions of the two coupled nonlinear Schrodinger equations are in good agreement with the measured results.