Nonlinear temporal Fresnel diffraction induced by phase jumps in fiber optics.

We numerically study the temporal patterns that emerge upon the propagation of one or two π phase jumps in a nonlinear optical fiber. Both normal and anomalous regimes of dispersion are considered. The analytical derivation of linear patterns based on Fresnel's integrals provides some clues to better understand the properties of the resulting coherent structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]