Abstract

The optical Kerr effect leads to modulational instability (MI) in optical fibers, which involves the periodic exchange of energy between a continuous wave (cw) at frequency ω₀ and its sidebands at the frequencies = ω_1,2 = ω₀ ±Ω [1]. In dissipative systems such as repeaterless fiber transmission links [2] or fiber amplifiers [3], the presence of linear loss or gain modifies the spectrum of. MI gain, and the frequency conversion process is aperiodic. We show here that spatially chaotic behavior may arise in the frequency conversion whenever a modulated light field propagates in a spatially periodic fiber systems such as a periodically amplified links [4] or a ring laser [5].

© 1993 Optical Society of America