Dynamics of two-mode radiation in optical waveguides with strong mode coupling

Amplitude equations, as well as the effective dispersion and nonlinearity parameters, which define the dynamics of a wave packet formed by two strongly coupled modes, are derived with allowance for the frequency dependence of the linear mode coupling coefficient. These equations are used to study the onset of the modulation instability of the two-mode wave packet, soliton-like pulses, and compression modes. Unlike single-mode systems, the last two effects in optical waveguides may arise for both a negative and positive disper-sion of the waveguide material.