Modulation instability in nonlinear positive-negative index couplers with saturable nonlinearity

We have investigated the modulation instability (MI) in a nonlinear optical coupler using a generalized model describing the pulse propagation of a waveguiding structure composed of two adjacent waveguides. The model consists of a nonlinear tunnel-coupled structure consisting of right- and left-handed media. The optical coupler considered here includes a local saturable nonlinear refractive index. In particular, we discuss the impact of the saturable nonlinearity for the MI of plane waves and formation of spatial solitons. The results show that MI can exist not only in the normal group velocity dispersion (GVD) regime but also in the normal GVD regime in the nonlinear positive-negative index coupler in the presence of saturable nonlinearity. The saturable nonlinearity can increase/decrease the number of sidebands or shift the existing sidebands. The maximum value of the MI gain, as well as its bandwidth, has been also affected by the saturable nonlinearity. Moreover, the saturable nonlinearity may influence considerably the number of wave trains induced by MI. (c) 2012 Optical Society of America