Input power limits of single-mode optical fibers due to stimulated Brillouin scattering in optical communication systems

Stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) limits the optical power that can be transmitted through a single-mode fiber in long-distance optical communication systems, the authors have investigated SBS gain and threshold characteristics with amplitude-shift-keying (ASK), frequency-shift-keying (FSK), and phase-shift-keying (PSK) modulated lights to estimate the input power limitation set by SBS. It was shown that maximum fiber-input powers or the SBS thresholds for fixed-pattern (1010 . . .) ASK, FSK, and PSK modulated lights are 2, 4, and 2.5 times higher, respectively, than the threshold for unmodulated light. Theoretical predictions were experimentally verified by SBS gain measurements with FSK and PSK modulated lights. The first direct observation of SBS with FSK modulated light pumping is also described.< >