| This thesis describes a number of experiments that have been performed to study various effects of stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) in single mode optical fibers. We have investigated the scattering process by measuring the power limiting effects and increased noise characteristics under different conditions. Additionally, we show a correlation between the relative intensity noise of the Brillouin scattered signal and its spectral bandwidth, which reinforces the theory that spontaneous Brillouin scattering is "seeded" by random thermal perturbations in the optical fiber. This initial work demonstrates the potentially detrimental effects SBS can have on optical fiber systems. We have therefore also investigated a technique that will suppress the generation of Brillouin scattering. A phase modulation concept is described and the performance of the scheme is demonstrated with Mach-Zehnder interferometric sensors. In addition to the negative effects of SBS, certain aspects of the scattering process, such as the inherent Brillouin gain, can be used in a beneficial manner. We experiment with using the Brillouin scattering gain to produce a ring resonator laser and the generation of multiple laser signals. Furthermore, we demonstrate the use of the SBS gain to sense external strain and temperature perturbations of the optical fiber. |
