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In this paper, we present a systematic numerical study of a novel ultrafast nonlinear switching concept based on soliton self-trapping in dual-core (DC) photonic crystal fibre (PCF). The geometrical parameters of highly-nonlinear (HN) DC microstructure are optimized with regard to desired linear and nonlinear propagation characteristics. The comparable magnitude of fibre coupling length and soliton period is identified as a key condition for presented switching concept. The optimized DC PCF design is subjected to detailed nonlinear numerical study. Complex temporal-spectral-spatial transformations of 100 fs hyperbolic secant pulse at 1550 nm in the DC PCF are studied numerically employing a model based on coupled generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equations solved by a split-step Fourier method. For the optimized DC structure, mutual interplay of solitonic and coupling processes gives rise to nonlinear switching of self-trapped soliton. The output channel (fibre core) for the generated soliton can be controlled via the input pulse energy. For vertical polarization, the optimal soliton switching with extinction ratio contrast of 32.4 dB at 10.75 mm propagation distance is achieved. Even better switching contrast of 34.8 dB can be achieved for horizontal polarization at optimal propagation distance of 10.25 mm. Besides energy-controlled soliton self-trapping switching, the fibre supports also nonlinear polarization switching with soliton switching contrast as high as 37.4 dB. The proposed fibre holds a high application potential allowing efficient ultrafast switching of sub-nanojoule pulses at over-Tb/s data rates requiring only about 1 cm fibre length.

Nonlinear propagation of ultrafast near infrared pulses in anomalous dispersion region of dual-core photonic crystal fiber was studied. Polarization tunable soliton-based nonlinear switching at multiple non-excitation wavelengths was demonstrated experimentally for fiber excitation by 100 fs pulses at 1650 nm. The highest-contrast switching was obtained with the fiber length of just 14 mm, which is significantly shorter compared to the conventional non-solitonic in-fiber switching based on nonlinear optical loop mirror. Advanced numerical simulations show good agreement with the experimental results, suggesting that the underlying dual-core soliton fission process supports nonlinear optical switching and simultaneous pulse compression to few-cycle durations at the level of 20 fs.

A highly birefringent silicate glass photonic-crystal fiber (PCF) is employed for polarization-controlled nonlinear-optical frequency conversion of femtosecond Cr: forsterite laser pulses with a central wavelength of 1.24 mum to the 530--720-nm wavelength range through soliton dispersion-wave emission. The fiber exhibits a modal birefringence of 1.2.10(-3) at the wavelength of 1.24 mum due to a strong form anisotropy of its core, allowing polarization switching of the central wavelength of its blue-shifted output by 75 nm. Polarization properties and the beam quality of the blue-shifted PCF output are shown to be ideally suited for polarization-sensitive nonlinear Raman microspectroscopy.

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