Frequency pulling in a Brillouin fiber ring laser

The lasing frequencies of a Brillouin fiber ring laser are shifted slightly from the resonant frequencies of the cold fiber ring resonator due to the optical Kerr effect and the nonlinear phase shift associated with stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) used as the gain mechanism in this type of laser. These frequency pulling effects are investigated in detail both theoretically and experimentally. The results of this study are useful in many Brillouin fiber ring laser applications such as Brillouin fiber optic gyroscopes, microwave generators, and frequency shifters. To the authors' knowledge this is the first time the frequency pulling effect caused by the nonlinear phase shift associated with SBS is reported.< >