Stored Light in an Optical Fiber via Stimulated Brillouin Scattering
Zhaoming Zhu,1
Daniel J. Gauthier,1*
Robert W. Boyd2
We describe a method for storing sequences of optical data pulses
by converting them into long-lived acoustic excitations in an
optical fiber through the process of stimulated Brillouin scattering.
These stored pulses can be retrieved later, after a time interval
limited by the lifetime of the acoustic excitation. In the experiment
reported here, smooth 2-nanosecond-long pulses are stored for
up to 12 nanoseconds with good readout efficiency: 29% at 4-nanosecond
storage time and 2% at 12 nanoseconds. This method thus can
potentially store data packets that are many bits long. It can
be implemented at any wavelength where the fiber is transparent
and can be incorporated into existing telecommunication networks
because it operates using only commercially available components
at room temperature.
2 The Institute of Optics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA.
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: gauthier{at}phy.duke.edu
