Stimulated Brillouin scattering of visible light in small-core photonic crystal fibers

We characterize stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) of visible light in small-core photonic crystal fiber (PCF). Threshold powers under 532 nm excitation agree with established theory, in contrast to measured values up to five times greater than expected for Brillouin scattering of 1550 nm light. An isolated, single-peaked signal at a Stokes shift of 33.5 GHz is observed, distinct from the multi-peaked Stokes spectra expected when small-core PCF is pumped in the infrared. This wavelength-dependence of the Brillouin threshold, and the corresponding spectrum, are explained by the acousto-optic interactions in the fiber, governed by dimensionless length scales that relate the modal area to the core size, and the pump wavelength to PCF hole pitch. Our results suggest new opportunities for exploiting SBS of visible light in small-core PCFs. (C) 2014 Optical Society of America