The transient stimulated Brillouin scattering amplification of a step-function signal wave is examined analytically. Prior to reaching a steady state, the logarithmic gain coefficient of the signal wave is oscillating at a frequency that is given by the detuning of the stimulated acoustic wave from the Brillouin frequency shift (BFS) of the medium. The study of a single transient trace, taken at an arbitrary known frequency offset between pump and signal, may recover the BFS of the medium. The measurement protocol does not involve spectral scanning. The technique may increase the acquisition rate in high-resolution, distributed Brillouin fiber sensor setups.

Date Published: 7 March 2016
PDF: 6 pages
Proc. SPIE 9763, Slow Light, Fast Light, and Opto-Atomic Precision Metrology IX, 97631M (7 March 2016); doi: 10.1117/12.2220201

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 9763:
Slow Light, Fast Light, and Opto-Atomic Precision Metrology IX
Selim M. Shahriar; Jacob Scheuer, Editor(s)