Random variations of the dispersion lead to broadening of the pulse width. We present an analytical description of this pulse broadening in the framework of a finite-dimensional reduction of the underlying PDE   more...(ps-file)

Pulses that are short in time domain are broad in frequency domain. In this case, the validity of the cubic Nonlinear Schrödinger equation as approximation of Maxwell's equation is questionable. We investigate alternative approximations of Maxwell's equations in the framework of a weakly nonlinear perturbation theory.