Stimulated Brillouin scattering-induced phase noise in an interferometric fiber sensing system

Stimulated Brillouin scattering-induced phase noise is harmful to interferometric fiber sensing systems. The localized fluctuating model is used to study the intensity noise caused by the stimulated Brillouin scattering in a single-mode fiber. The phase noise structure is analyzed for an interferometric fiber sensing system, and an unbalanced Michelson interferometer with an optical path difference of 1 m, as well as the phase-generated carrier technique, is used to measure the phase noise. It is found that the phase noise is small when the input power is below the stimulated Brillouin scattering threshold, increases dramatically at first and then gradually becomes flat when the input power is above the threshold, which is similar to the variation in relative intensity noise. It can be inferred that the increase in phase noise is mainly due to the broadening of the laser linewidth caused by stimulated Brillouin scattering, which is verified through linewidth measurements in the absence and presence of the stimulated Brillouin scattering.     

远程干涉型光纤传感系统的非线性相位噪声分析

以远程干涉型光纤传感系统为背景, 研究了系统非线性相位噪声构成, 对各构成要素的具体影响进行了详细分析和综合评价, 简要讨论了噪声抑制方案. 研究表明, 系统相位噪声主要包括强度噪声转化而来的相位噪声、非线性效应引起激光 线宽展宽导致的相位噪声以及自相位调制和交叉相位调制引入的相位噪声. 受激布里渊散射和四波混频可引入强度噪声并转化为相位噪声, 对于探测带宽较窄的光纤传感系统, 四波混频引入的该部分噪声往往可以忽略. 受激布里渊散射、四波混频和调制不稳定性都可引起激光线宽展宽从而造成相位噪声的增大. 当系统信道数目较多时, 交叉相位调制对相位噪声的贡献不可忽略. 所得结论对远程干涉型光纤传感系统的实际应用具有重要的指导意义.     

Phase noise characteristics induced by stimulated Brillouin scattering in the presence of four-wave mixing in an interferometric fiber sensing system

Phase noise characteristics induced by stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) in the presence of four-wave mixing (FWM) in an interferometric fiber sensing system are investigated. It is found that the phase noise mainly results from SBS and the influence of FWM on the phase noise is negligible. It is due to that the channels are not perfectly equally spaced in the wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) system and the induced beat noise is filtered by the ??kHz/MHz photodetector. The phase noise caused by SBS rather than FWM should be focused on in the practical applications of interferometric fiber sensing systems.     

Stimulated Brillouin Scattering Enhancement Factor Improvement in a 11.6-GHz-Linewidth 1.5-kW Yb-Doped Fiber Amplifier

The stimulated Brillouin scattering(SBS) threshold enhancement factor in a pure white noise linewidth broadening Yb-doped fiber amplifier(YDFA) with a short large mode area fiber is theoretically and experimentally studied.We demonstrate a 1064.08 nm,11.6 GHz linewidth,1.5kW output power YDFA with an SBS threshold enhancement of ~57(26 W SBS threshold with single frequency seed).The output beam is near-diffraction limited with a beam quality factor of M~2 = 1.15 and a slope efficiency of up to 87%.No SBS or stimulated Raman scattering effects are observed in the whole power range.Further power scaling is limited by the available pump power in our system.     

Forward and backward intensity noises induced by stimulated Brillouin scattering in optical fiber

The characteristic of intensity noise is degraded when stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) occurs in the fiber transmission systems. We use the localized fluctuating model to study SBS and obtain the curves of intensity fluctuations versus the single-pass gain. Corresponding experiments are also conducted. For the forward light, the relative intensity noise (RIN) dramatically increases at first and gradually stabilizes when the input power is above the SBS threshold. For the backward light, the RIN increases dramatically with the input power near the threshold. As the input power continues to increase, the RIN decreases quickly at first and subsequently decreases slowly. This observation is attributed to the lower frequencies.     

1.06kW 13GHz线宽全光纤激光器

分析了高功率光纤激光器中受激布里渊散射(SBS)效应的抑制方法。研究表明,利用宽带噪声源高速相位调制展宽光谱的方法对于抑制SBS十分有效,可实现kW级用于光谱组束的数10GHz高功率光纤激光子束。通过理论计算线宽与SBS阈值的关系,并分析噪声相位调制各参数对SBS阈值提升的影响,优化了光纤激光器设计参数。通过宽带噪声高速相位调制的方法,展宽单频种子源线宽至13GHz,通过两级预放大至10 W后,使用20/400μm掺Yb光纤最终实现了中心波长1064nm、线宽13GHz、最高功率1.06kW的激光输出,光束质量M21.2,光-光转换效率86%,实验过程未观测到模式不稳定性现象。进一步扩宽噪声源频带,加大调制深度,有望实现更高功率的窄线宽光纤激光输出。     

Numerical analysis of stimulated Brillouin scattering in high-power double-clad fiber lasers

A theoretical analysis of stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) in linear cavity Yb³⁺-doped double-clad fiber lasers is presented by solving the steady-state rate equations with the SBS. The effects of cavity length, fiber core diameter, input mirror reflectivity at Stokes wavelength, Yb³⁺ concentration and laser linewidth on the SBS are discussed. Numerical results show that the SBS threshold power can be improved by shortening the cavity length, using large mode area fiber, reducing the input mirror reflectivity at Stokes wavelength, lowering the Yb³⁺ concentration and broadening the laser linewidth, and the influence of the laser linewidth on the SBS threshold power is more noticeable than other system parameters.     

基于光子晶体光纤中受激布里渊散射的光载波抑制

设计了一种基于光子晶体光纤中受激布里渊散射的载波滤波器.该滤波器利用两个环形器和一段光子晶体光纤构成了一个环形腔,这种腔结构有效地降低了光纤中受激布里渊散射的阈值.理论分析了光子晶体光纤载波滤波器对提高光调制深度和射频增益的影响.利用25 m的高非线性光子晶体光纤作为受激布里渊增益介质,当入射载波功率为70 mW时,微波光子信号的射频增益为5.38 dB,实验结果与理论计算相吻合.     

S波段光纤拉曼放大器中级联受激布里渊散射串扰的实验研究

研究了光纤激光器前向抽运的S波段分布式光纤拉曼放大器中级联的受激布里渊散射(SBS)串扰现象。用窄光谱带宽(<100MHz)的可调谐激光二极管作为信号源,通过S波段分布式光纤拉曼放大器,当被放大的信号功率超过单模光纤受激布里渊散射的阈值时,出现了前向受激布里渊散射,这是传导声波布里渊散射在光纤放大器中放大的现象。随着拉曼放大器抽运功率的提高,在斯托克斯区,出现了两阶受激布里渊散射线,在实验中观测到偶数阶的受激布里渊散射谱线功率大于奇数阶的布里渊一瑞利散射线。当进一步增加拉曼放大器的抽运功率,出现了前向级联的多阶受激布里渊散射现象,拉曼放大器的增益下降,被放大的信号功率转换为受激布里渊散射,噪声变大。受激布里渊散射的串扰破坏了拉曼放大器的特性,使拉曼放大器无法在密集波分复用光纤传输系统中使用,因此需要严格地控制入纤的信号功率和放大器的抽运功率。在实验中还观测到在光纤拉曼放大器中被放大的信号光和受激布里渊散射线两侧的伴线。     

A 168-W high-power single-frequency amplifier in an all-fiber configuration

We present a high-power, single-frequency, narrow linewidth fiber amplifier based on master oscillator power amplification chains in an all-fiber configuration. The effect of the delivery fiber on the maximum output power is studied. A home-made 1064-nm seed laser with a 20-kHz linewidth is boosted to 129 W, and limited by stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) when the delivery fiber is 1.2 m long. By shortening the delivery fiber length to 0.7 m, the SBS threshold is increased efficiently and the maximum output power rises to 168 W with an 82.9% power conversion efficiency. The experimental results indicate that the output power can be further raised by shortening the delivery fiber length and increasing the pump power.     

A high-efficiency Brillouin fiber ring laser

A high-efficiency Brillouin fiber ring laser is demonstrated using the standard single-mode fiber. The laser exhibits a 3.6-mW threshold. The output power is 22 mW with 40-mW pump power, and the maximum optical-to-optical efficiency is 5570. The output is single wavelength with a 3-dB linewidth of 5 MHz, and the interval of center frequency between the laser and the pump light is 11 GHz （0.088 nm）. It is shown that the stimulated Brillouin scattering threshold of ring resonator is lower and the energy transfer efficiency is higher than those in fiber.     

A 168-W high-power single-frequency amplifier in an all-fiber configuration

We present a high-power,single-frequency,narrow linewidth fiber amplifier based on master oscillator power amplification chains in an all-fiber configuration.The effect of the delivery fiber on the maximum output power is studied.A home-made 1064-nm seed laser with a 20-kHz linewidth is boosted to 129 W,and limited by stimulated Brillouin scattering(SBS) when the delivery fiber is 1.2 m long.By shortening the delivery fiber length to 0.7 m,the SBS threshold is increased efficiently and the maximum output power rises to 168 W with an 82.9% power conversion efficiency.The experimental results indicate that the output power can be further raised by shortening the delivery fiber length and increasing the pump power.     

Stimulated Brillouin scattering frequency-domain analysis in a single-mode optical fiber for distributed sensing

A numerical and experimental analysis of the stimulated Brillouin scattering in a single-mode optical fiber for distributed sensing applications is carried out in the frequency domain. The theoretical model describing the Brillouin interaction is solved by taking into account the temporal dynamics of the acoustic wave that is involved. The simulations and the experimental results reveal the role played by the ac component of the acoustic wave, which is responsible for significant changes of the small-signal stimulated Brillouin scattering transfer function that occur when the modulation frequency rises above the natural Brillouin gain spectrum linewidth. One should take these effects into account to perform accurate signal processing of frequency-domain signals in high-resolution distributed sensing applications.     

Influence of laser linewidth on performance of Brillouin optical time domain reflectometry

The effects of optical sources with different laser linewidths on Brillouin optical time domain reflectometry (BOTDR) are investigated numerically and experimentally. Simulation results show that the spectral linewidth of spontaneous Brillouin scattering remains almost constant when the laser linewidth is less than 1 MHz at the same pulse width; otherwise, it increases sharply. A comparison between a fiber laser (FL) with 4-kHz linewidth at 3 dB and a distributed feedback (DFB) laser with 3-MHz linewidth is made experimentally. When a constant laser power is launched into the sensing fiber, the fitting linewidths of the beat signals (backscattered Brillouin light and local oscillator (LO)) is about 5 MHz wider for the DFB laser than for the FL and the intensity of the beat signal is about a half. Furthermore, the frequency fluctuation in the long sensing fiber is lower for the FL source, yielding about 2 MHz less than that of the DFB laser, indicating higher temperature/strain resolution. The experimental results are in good agreement with the numerical simulations.     

窄线宽纳秒脉冲光纤拉曼放大器的理论模型和数值分析

窄线宽纳秒脉冲光纤拉曼放大器在非线性频率变换、遥感探测和量子信息等领域有广泛的应用前景.综合考虑受激拉曼散射(stimulated Raman scattering,SRS)、受激布里渊散射(stimulated Brillouin scattering,SBS)、自相位调制(self-phase modulation)和交叉相位调制(cross-phase modulation)等非线性效应,建立了窄线宽纳秒脉冲光纤拉曼放大器的非线性动力学模型.仿真分析了放大器中脉冲激光的时频演化特性,对比研究了抽运脉冲宽度、光纤长度和信号光功率等因素对放大器性能的影响.研究发现,上述因素会影响放大器的SRS阈值、SBS阈值、输出激光线宽、激光转换效率等.例如,当脉冲宽度为800 ns时,SBS随着抽运功率的增加而发生,限制了激光功率的提升;减短抽运脉宽可以抑制SBS,但是输出激光的线宽易于展宽到数百MHz以上;增加光纤长度可以获得更低的SRS阈值和更高的转换效率,但是SBS效应和光谱展宽程度也随之增强.系统搭建中需要平衡各非线性效应,选择合适的系统参数.研究内容可以为窄线宽纳秒脉冲光纤拉曼放大器的设计搭建提供参考.     

基于简单MOPA结构实现3.08 kW全光纤窄线宽线偏振激光输出

基于简单的主振荡功率放大结构,演示了一种高功率窄线宽线性偏振全光纤激光器,其最大输出功率为3.08 kW,3 dB线宽为0.2 nm。在整个功率缩放过程中,偏振消光比约为94%,光束质量M 2约为1.4。这是国内外首次实现3 kW全保偏光纤激光输出,与基于相位调制的窄线宽激光器相比,该激光器可实现近似的线宽,同时具有受激布里渊散射阈值高、系统结构简单、成本低等特点。     

基于少模光纤的SBS光谱阈值特性分析

受激布里渊散射会影响少模光纤传输系统中的信噪比、传输距离与传输容量,是影响传输系统入纤功率提高的重要因素。对阶跃型少模光纤的受激布里渊散射谱的阈值进行了研究,运用了布里渊散射谱、模式联运谱的数学模型对少模光纤散射特性进行了分析,探讨了少模光纤布里渊散射增益谱、阈值增益系数,以及光纤各参量对少模光纤阈值的影响。分析结果表明：SI-10阶跃型少模光纤中存在五种不同的传播模式,不同模式有各自的传输常数以及有效折射率,各模式相互作用导致模式展宽、增益降低,且布里渊散射谱峰值增益系数为3.9×10-11 m·W-1。阈值增益系数受到光纤传感距离的影响,在相对较短距离传输中阈值急速下降,且其趋势随长度增加渐趋平缓,当光纤长度达到22 km时阈值增益系数趋于常数18.1。少模光纤的阈值因光纤长度的递增而递减,且递减趋势渐缓趋于常数20.5 dBm;少模光纤不同模式受激布里渊散射的阈值也因光纤长度的递增而递减最终趋于常数,且不同模式的阈值因模式阶数的递增而递增;少模光纤的阈值随着光纤衰减系数和纤芯半径的递增而递增,且增加趋势缓慢增大。不同衰减系数的光纤其阈值在不同长度趋于常数,衰减系数越大受激布里渊散射阈值越大越容易趋于一常数。     

Full investigation of the backscattering in resonator fiber optic gyro

Resonator Fiber optic gyro (RFOG) is a high accuracy inertial rotation sensor based on the Sagnac effect. The optical fiber ring resonator (OFRR) is the key rotation sensing element. The backscattering characteristics of the OFRR are fully investigated. The Rayleigh backscattering dominates the backscattering spectrum with the input power below the threshold. High carrier suppression is crucial to reduce this Rayleigh backscattering error. Being different from the intrinsic Rayleigh scattering of the fiber, the stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) in the OFRR should be avoided. This is because the finesse and the resonance notch depth of the OFRR decrease for the pump depletion through the SBS process. The shot noise limited sensitivity (SLS) of the RFOG is improved by increasing the input power. Through analysis, it is found that the threshold input power is improved after phase modulation. The SLS of the RFOG is analyzed at different modulation parameters and its relevant SBS threshold. Accordingly, the optimized modulation frequency and the corresponding maximum input power are all obtained. A simple method of testing the frequency shift in the SBS is also proposed. In this method, the central frequency of the laser source is locked to the resonance frequency of the OFRR in one direction. A steady SBS light is observed and its frequency shift is measured together.     

Investigation on threshold power of stimulated Brillouin scattering in photonic crystal fiber

We have developed a theoretical approach to simulate stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) generation in photonic crystal fiber (PCF). The threshold condition for the SBS occurrence has been derived as a function of fiber parameters and input pump power. A particular emphasis is given to the influence of the input pump power and fiber length on the Brillouin gain in the PCF. To assess threshold pump power accurately, the pump depletion effect has been included by employing the 1% criterion. This simulation can anticipate the Brillouin threshold gain value precisely. The threshold gain varies from 14 to 18 depending on the PCF length.     

100-W single-frequency master-oscillator fiber power amplifier

We report the efficient generation of 100-W single-frequency radiation with diffraction-limited beam quality at the 1064-nm wavelength by use of a master-oscillator fiber power-amplifier system, consisting of a diode-pumped monolithic nonplanar ring laser as the master oscillator and an Yb-doped large-mode-area fiber as the power amplifier. The emission spectrum, the intensity noise behavior, and further power-scaling possibilities to the >200-W level, which are determined by the threshold of stimulated Brillouin scattering in the fiber amplifier, are discussed.