Electronically controlled polarization beat length in Kerr nonlinear media

Abstract

The polarization beat length of propagating optical fields in nonlinear birefringent Kerr medium is investigated in the presence of an externally applied DC electric field. We show that the critical power, at which the effective polarization beat length becomes infinite, can be controlled through adjusting the externally applied electric field. The principle of operation is based on modifying the polarization instability by electronically adjusting the effective birefringence through an external electrical bias. The presented analytical expressions describe the beat length and the polarization instability as a function of the applied electric field for an arbitrary optical input state.