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Applied Optics

Stimulated Brillouin scattering slow light in optical fibers [Invited]

Avi Zadok, Avishay Eyal, Moshe Tur

Published Jun 30, 2011• 102 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) has become a favorable underlying mechanism in many demonstrations of all-optical variable delay in standard fibers, often referred to as slow and fast light. Over 100 journal papers and numerous conference sessions have been dedicated to SBS slow light since 2005. In this paper, recent research in this area is reviewed. Following a short introduction to the topic, several specific trends in contemporary work are highlighted: the optimization of the SBS pump spectrum for extended slow light delay and reduced pulse distortion; SBS slow light demonstrations in nonstandard, highly nonlinear fibers; applications of SBS slow light to the delay of analog waveforms; and the role of polarization. Finally, a brief concluding perspective is provided.

DOI
10.1364/ao.50.000e38

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espanolEn la presente revision se exponen los resultados obtenidos por nuestro grupo en luz lenta via scattering Brillouin estimulado (SBS por sus siglas en ingles). En ella describimos los fundamentos de los fenomenos de luz lenta y como el proceso de scattering Brillouin estimulado puede ser utilizado para obtener retardos sintonizables en fibras opticas. Posteriormente expondremos los mecanismos utilizados para superar las limitaciones impuestas por el estrecho ancho de banda de la resonancia Brillouin y para optimizar los resultados a tasas de datos correspondientes a las redes de telecomunicaciones actuales. A continuacion tambien describimos el proceso de almacenamiento coherente de la luz en fibras opticas basado en SBS, con aplicaciones en buffers completamente opticos. Finalmente, se comentan las perspectivas futuras de este excitante campo de investigacion. EnglishA review on the work performed by our group on slow light via Stimulating Brillouin scattering (SBS) is presented. We describe the fundamentals of the slow-light phenomena and how SBS can be used to obtain tunable optical delays in optical fibers. We then review the mechanisms to overcome the limitations imposed by the narrow SBS resonance bandwidth and to optimize the slow-light performance for data rates used in modern telecommunication networks. We also describe the process of coherent light storage in optical fibers based on SBS which paves the way to optical buffering applications. Finally, future perspectives of this exciting field of research are discussed.

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Stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) has become a favorable underlying mechanism in many demonstrations of all-optical variable delay in standard fibers, often referred to as slow and fast light. Over 100 journal papers and numerous conference sessions have been dedicated to SBS slow light since 2005. In this paper, recent research in this area is reviewed. Following a short introduction to the topic, several specific trends in contemporary work are highlighted: the optimization of the SBS pump spectrum for extended slow light delay and reduced pulse distortion; SBS slow light demonstrations in nonstandard, highly nonlinear fibers; applications of SBS slow light to the delay of analog waveforms; and the role of polarization. Finally, a brief concluding perspective is provided.
Slow- and Fast-Light has been investigated during the last years as a powerful tool to reduce and increase the group velocity of light pulses by light. It has enjoyed much recent interest because of the practical applications for telecommunication and information systems. Among these are optical signal processing, radio frequency-photonics, nonlinear optics and time domain spectroscopy. Furthermore, it can be seen as a key technology for optical delay lines, buffers, equalizers and synchronizers in packet switched networks. For a realization, there are different methods and material systems possible. Among them the nonlinear effect of stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) is of special interest. This article gives an overview about the fundamentals and some experimental results of the Slow- and Fast-Light effect based on the SBS in optical fibers.
The manipulation of the group velocity of optical signals (slow and fast light) has many possible applications in telecommunications, sensing, nonlinear optics, and so on. The exploitation of the effect of stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) is of special interest for the alteration of the group velocity in optical fibers, since it just requires standard telecom equipment and low-to-moderate optical power. However, each delay in one single, low-gain SBS-based slow-light system is accompanied by a pulse broadening. This is a result of the inherent Kramers–Kronig relations among the gain, the phase change, and the accompanied group velocity. For an ideal flat gain, the phase change is nonideal, and for an ideal phase change the gain curve leads to a broadening. Furthermore, if the gain bandwidth is adapted to the signal by broadening, the delay will be reduced. Thus the signal broadening can be reduced by several methods for one single low-gain slow-light system, but it cannot be zero. Here, we will show how a zero-broadening SBS-based slow light can be achieved with several methods. The basic idea is a reshaping of the original pulse in a second stage by saturation of the SBS system, or by the superposition of two gains. As will be shown, all of these systems show an almost ideal overall gain and phase function over the bandwidth of the pulses. Thus, SBS-based slow light with a delay bandwidth product of 1 bit and zero distortion is possible.
Different Slow-light systems have been discussed and developed as a powerful tool to reduce the group velocity of optical signals during the last years. It has enjoyed much recent interest because of the potential system applications in optical telecommunication and information systems. Especially the nonlinear effect of stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) has become important for fiber based Slow-light systems. But, the SBS also has two challenges. First, the maximum time delay is limited due to the saturation of the Brillouin amplification process and second, the delay of the pulses is accompanied by pulse distortions (pulse shape broadening). For these aspects the shape of the Brillouin spectrum is of special interest. In this article a system is presented which allows the optimisation of the Brillouin spectrum. Simulations and first measurements show how the time delay can be enhanced with a simultaneous reduction of the pulse distortions.
espanolEn la presente revision se exponen los resultados obtenidos por nuestro grupo en luz lenta via scattering Brillouin estimulado (SBS por sus siglas en ingles). En ella describimos los fundamentos de los fenomenos de luz lenta y como el proceso de scattering Brillouin estimulado puede ser utilizado para obtener retardos sintonizables en fibras opticas. Posteriormente expondremos los mecanismos utilizados para superar las limitaciones impuestas por el estrecho ancho de banda de la resonancia Brillouin y para optimizar los resultados a tasas de datos correspondientes a las redes de telecomunicaciones actuales. A continuacion tambien describimos el proceso de almacenamiento coherente de la luz en fibras opticas basado en SBS, con aplicaciones en buffers completamente opticos. Finalmente, se comentan las perspectivas futuras de este excitante campo de investigacion. EnglishA review on the work performed by our group on slow light via Stimulating Brillouin scattering (SBS) is presented. We describe the fundamentals of the slow-light phenomena and how SBS can be used to obtain tunable optical delays in optical fibers. We then review the mechanisms to overcome the limitations imposed by the narrow SBS resonance bandwidth and to optimize the slow-light performance for data rates used in modern telecommunication networks. We also describe the process of coherent light storage in optical fibers based on SBS which paves the way to optical buffering applications. Finally, future perspectives of this exciting field of research are discussed.