Keynote: Stimulated Brillouin Scattering Gain in Optical Fibers

Stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) is a nonlinear process occurring in optical fibers. In this keynote talk from COMSOL Day: Optics & Photonics, Helena Lopez Aviles of Coherent explains how to numerically calculate SBS gain spectrum using the COMSOL Multiphysics^® software for a custom refractive index profile. She begins the talk by describing the physical process of SBS and providing several equations detailing SBS gain. Then, she discusses the add-on products to COMSOL Multiphysics^® that her team uses in this work, followed by how she defines the parameters of her models.

Next, Lopez Aviles explains her approach to the fiber geometry and how she created custom definitions of the refractive index profile and acoustic velocity. She concludes the talk by discussing the solved models for several acoustic modes and the advantages and disadvantages of SBS.

Helena Lopez Aviles received her PhD in optics and photonics from the University of Central Florida, focusing on nonlinear optics phenomena in single-mode and multimode fibers.