Measuring self-steepening with the photon-conserving nonlinear Schrödinger equation

We propose an original, simple, and direct method to measure self-steepening (SS) in nonlinear waveguides. Our proposal is based on results derived from the recently introduced photon-conserving nonlinear Schrödinger equation (NLSE) and relies on the time shift experienced by soliton-like pulses due to SS upon propagation. In particular, a direct measurement of this time shift allows for a precise estimation of the SS parameter. Furthermore, we show that such an approach cannot be tackled by resorting to the NLSE. The proposed method is validated through numerical simulations, in excellent agreement with the analytical model, and results are presented for relevant spectral regions in the near infrared, the telecommunication band, and the mid infrared, and for realistic parameters of available laser sources and waveguides. Finally, we demonstrate the robustness of the proposed scheme against deviations expected in real-life experimental conditions, such as pulse shape, pulse peak power, pulsewidth, and/or higher-order linear and nonlinear dispersion.