  We present a novel general framework to deal with forward and backward
components of the electromagnetic field in axially-invariant nonlinear optical
systems, which include those having any type of linear or nonlinear transverse
inhomogeneities. With a minimum amount of approximations, we obtain a system of
two first-order equations for forward and backward components explicitly
showing the nonlinear couplings among them. The modal approach used allows for
an effective reduction of the dimensionality of the original problem from 3+1
(three spatial dimensions plus one time dimension) to 1+1 (one spatial
dimension plus one frequency dimension). The new equations can be written in a
spinor Dirac-like form, out of which conserved quantities can be calculated in
an elegant manner. Finally, these new equations inherently incorporate
spatio-temporal couplings, so that they can be easily particularized to deal
with purely temporal or purely spatial effects. Nonlinear forward pulse
propagation and non-paraxial evolution of spatial structures are analyzed as
examples.
