Polarization changes in planar waveguide in the presence of stimulated scatterings (Rayleigh, Raman)

Summary form only given. We have observed in a planar waveguide strong polarization changes near and above the soliton threshold. To understand the role of the optical nonlinearities and of the waveguiding structure, we compare the influence of stimulated Rayleigh wing scattering (SRWS) and the effect of molecular reorientation on the propagation in waveguide. In CS/sub 2/ molecular reorientation is more important than in chloroform. In the latter liquid SRWS is not observed but stimulated Raman scattering appears at low threshold. The results show an interaction between TE and TM components: each one could be amplified according to some input beam characteristics: polarization, waveguide thickness and incident wave vector.