Fibre modulational instability ($K^2=({\beta }_2{\Omega }^2/2)({\beta }_2{\Omega }^2/2+2\gamma P)$)

Linearizing a uniform Kerr-fibre background couples opposite frequency sidebands. With $i{A}_z-{\beta }_2{A}_{TT}/2+\gamma |A{|}^{2}A=0$, the displayed dispersion relation permits exponential growth precisely when ${\beta }_2\gamma <0$ and $0<{\Omega }^2<-4\gamma P/{\beta }_2$. For positive $\gamma$, this is anomalous group velocity dispersion. complex conjugation requires the paired complex-mode ansatz on the unstable branch. amplitude and power growth exponents differ by a factor of two.

Linearization around a pumped background couples the perturbation at positive frequency offset to the conjugate of the negative-offset perturbation. Their matrix eigenvalues determine amplification; assuming two unrelated scalar phase shifts misses the instability.