Time-domain split-step method with variable step-sizes in vectorial pulse propagation by using digital filters

Finite impulse response (FIR) and infinite impulse response (IIR) digital filters are proposed to allow for time-domain simulation of optical pulse propagation by using the operator-splitting technique. These filters simulate polarization mode dispersion and chromatic dispersion effects with acceptable accuracy in time-domain. An analytical relation between the coefficients of these filters and the simulation step-size is established to accommodate the possibility of carrying out the time-domain split-step method with variable split-step length at virtually no computational burden. The superiority of the proposed method over the conventional frequency-domain technique is particularly demonstrated in wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) applications.