Guiding-center pulse dynamics in nonreturn-to-zero (return-to-zero) communications systems with mean-zero dispersion

We analytically describe the effective evolution of a pulse (nonreturn-to-zero or return-to-zero) that propagates under the influence of a mean-zero dispersion map, nonlinearity, loss, and periodic amplification. On averaging, the governing equation is reduced to a set of coupled, nonlinear diffusion equations that describe the evolution of the pulse amplitude and phase and which capture the long-term interaction of dispersion and non-linearity. The averaged equations are shown to be in good agreement with the full evolution until a predicted wave-breaking behavior is observed in the full equations. (C) 1997 Optical Society of America.