SBS SUPPRESSION USING A DEPOLARIZED SOURCE FOR HIGH-POWER FIBER APPLICATIONS

A depolarized source for fiber applications is demonstrated using a tr aveling wave LiNbO3 phase modulator, The source suppresses stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) in the fiber when operated at high drive fr equencies, enabling more power to be delivered to a remote location, T he threshold for SBS is examined in detail using optical powers up to 150 mW and drive frequencies up to 4 GHz. A resonant enhancement techn ique is demonstrated which reduces the drive power requirement for fre quencies < 2 GHz by up to 7.6 dB.