Active control of gain saturation in fiber-optical parametric amplifier using stimulated Brillouin scattering

We have demonstrated the use of stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) to control the gain saturation characteristics of fiber-optical parametric amplification (FOPA). The saturation can be dynamically deferred or expedited without changing the input FOPA pump and signal parameters. It is observed that the input signal power at saturation can be increased or decreased by up to 6 dB. Experiments are performed to further investigate the role of the SBS-induced nonlinear phase on the power transfer efficiency in the FOPA.