Methods and devices based on brillouin selective sideband amplification

• US 20010030796A1
• Filed: 12/18/2000
• Published: 10/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yao X. Steve
• Original Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Yao, X. Steve
• Granted Patent: US 6,535,328 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/334
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/2916 using Raman or Brillouin amplifiers

Abstract

Opto-electronic devices and techniques using Brillouin scattering to select a sideband in a modulated optical carrier signal for amplification. Two lasers respectively provide a carrier signal beam and a Brillouin pump beam which are fed into an Brillouin optical medium in opposite directions. The relative frequency separation between the lasers is adjusted to align the frequency of the backscattered Brillouin signal with a desired sideband in the carrier signal to effect a Brillouin gain on the sideband. This effect can be used to implement photonic RF signal mixing and conversion with gain, conversion from phase modulation to amplitude modulation, photonic RF frequency multiplication, optical and RF pulse generation and manipulation, and frequency-locking of lasers.

Claims