Passive combination of multiple beams in an optical fiber via stimulated Brillouin scattering.
We demonstrate passive combination of multiple beams in an optical fiber via stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS). Four off-axis beams are combined in a long multimode optical fiber using a novel all-optical mount. The combined beam has the high spatial coherence properties of the LP(01) mode owing to the beam cleanup properties of SBS. The threshold for SBS when off-axis pumps are used is shown to be a factor of 13 times higher than for on-axis pump beams. We propose this method would improve the brightness of an array of fiber amplifiers.
Brown
Kirk C
KC
Department of Engineering Physics, Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT/ENP), Ohio 45433, USA. kirk.brown@rl.af.mil
Russell
Timothy H
TH
Alley
Thomas G
TG
Roh
Won B
WB