Analytic study on the generalized ( $$3+1$$ 3 + 1 )-dimensional nonlinear Schrödinger equation with variable coefficients in the inhomogeneous optical fiber

Studied in this paper is a ( $$3\,+ 1$$ )-dimensional nonlinear Schrodinger equation with the group velocity dispersion, fiber gain-or-loss and nonlinearity coefficient functions, which describes the evolution of a slowly varying wave packet envelope in the inhomogeneous optical fiber. With the Hirota method and symbolic computation, the bilinear form and dark multi-soliton solutions under certain variable-coefficient constraint are derived. Interactions between the different-type dark two solitons have been asymptotically analyzed and presented. Both velocities and amplitudes of the two linear-type dark solitons do not change before and after the interaction. The two parabolic-type dark solitons propagating with the opposite directions both change their directions after the interaction. Interaction between the two periodic-type dark solitons is also presented. Interactions between the linear-, parabolic- and periodic-type dark two solitons are elastic.