Hyper-Gaussian pulse stabilization via quintic nonlinearity in AlGaAs photonic crystal fibers

Abstract This study introduces a novel investigation into the propagation dynamics of diverse pulse profiles-Gaussian, super-Gaussian, and hyper-Gaussian-within AlGaAs photonic crystal fibers (PCFs) under the governance of a cubic–quintic nonlinear Schrödinger equation. The novelty lies in the comprehensive application of a variational approach to derive explicit evolution equations for crucial pulse parameters, including temporal width, chirp, and frequency shift, while rigorously accounting for higher-order effects such as third-order dispersion, self-steepening, and intrapulse Raman scattering. A key result is the demonstration of quintic nonlinearity’s stabilizing influence, effectively saturating the nonlinear response and counteracting dispersion-induced broadening, thereby enabling soliton-like propagation even in supercritical energy regimes. Notably, our findings reveal that hyper-Gaussian pulses exhibit superior temporal and spectral stability compared to Gaussian and super-Gaussian counterparts due to their flattened intensity profiles. These results offer new insights into the manipulation of ultrafast optical pulses in PCFs and hold significant potential for advancements in high-performance photonic devices.