Discrete vector spatial solitons in a nonlinear waveguide array

A vector discrete diffraction managed soliton system is introduced. The vector model describes propagation of two polarization modes interacting in a nonlinear waveguide array with varying diffraction via the cross-phase modulation coupling. In the limit of strong diffraction we derive averaged equations governing the slow dynamics of the beam's amplitudes, and their stationary (in the form of bright-bright vector bound state) and traveling wave solutions are found. Through an extensive series of direct numerical simulations, interactions between diffraction-managed solitons for different values of velocities, diffraction, and cross-phase modulation coefficient are studied. We compare each collision case with its classical counterpart (constant diffraction) and find that in both the scalar and vector diffraction management cases, the interaction picture involves beam shaping, fusion, fission, nearly elastic collisions, and, in some cases, multihump structures. The collision scenario is found, in both the scalar and vector diffraction managed cases, to be rather different from the classical case. © 2002 The American Physical Society.