We present a generalized momentum method to describe the evolution of the averaged (integral) pulse characteristics in nonlinear systems with periodically modulated dispersion and nonlinearity. A closed system of the ordinary differential equations is derived for averaged pulse power, width, and chirp. As a particular example, the developed theory is applied to the practical problem of the optical soliton transmission in dispersion-managed fiber links.

• Received 30 June 1998

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.58.R5264