Evolution of the width of a one-and-a-half-cycle optical pulse in a nonlinear dielectric medium

Abstract

Simple mathematical expressions are derived to show how the velocity of the center of gravity and the rms width of initially one-and-a-half-cycle pulses depend on the original central frequency and field amplitude, as well as on the properties of nonlinear media with dispersion. It is shown that self-compression of the pulse or its solitonlike (with no change of width) propagation in a medium with positive nonlinearity is not observed even when the central frequency of the pulse lies in the region of anomalous group dispersion of the medium. The central frequency of the pulse, at which its rate of dispersion blurring in the medium is minimal, is computed.