Demonstration of a nonlinear gap in the modulational instability spectra of wave propagation in highly birefringent fibers

We investigate modulational instability in normally dispersive highly birefringent fibers. By means of a technique based on a two-frequency pump field we are able to provide evidence for strong nonlinear dependence of the modulational instability spectra. This dependence manifests itself by the appearance of a nonlinear spectral gap in which modulational instability vanishes.