We experimentally demonstrate a simple widely tunable multiwavelength Brillouin/Erbium fiber laser that can be tuned over the entire C-band, thereby greatly improving the tuning range limitation faced by the previous Brillouin-erbium fiber laser architectures. Tuning range of 39 nm from 1527 nm to 1566 nm, which is only limited by the amplification bandwidth of the erbium gain was successfully achieved. At Brillouin pump wavelength of 1550 nm and 1480 nm laser pump and Brillouin pump powers of 130 mW and 2 mW respectively, all the generated output channels have peak power above 0 dBm, with the first output channel having a peak power of 8.52 dBm. The experimental set up that consists of only 4 optical components, is simple, devoid of the complex structure employed previously to enhance the tunability and feedback mechanism normally associated with multiwavelength Brillouin-erbium fiber laser sources. The generated output channels are stable, rigidly separated by 10 GHz (0.08 nm).

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We develop a theoretical model that can be used to predict stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) threshold in optical fibers that arises through the effect of Brillouin pump recycling technique. Obtained simulation results from our model are in close agreement with our experimental results. The developed model utilizes single mode optical fiber of different lengths as the Brillouin gain media. For 5-km long single mode fiber, the calculated threshold power for SBS is about 16 mW for conventional technique. This value is reduced to about 8 mW when the residual Brillouin pump is recycled at the end of the fiber. The decrement of SBS threshold is due to longer interaction lengths between Brillouin pump and Stokes wave.

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We experimentally demonstrated a multi-wavelength Brillouin Raman fiber laser with 20 GHz spacing utilizing a dual laser cavity that operated in the L-band wavelength region. In this laser configuration, 11 km long dispersion compensating fiber provided Brillouin gain medium. At Brillouin pump (BP) wavelength of 1580 nm, BP power of 7 dBm and Raman pump power of 1259 mW, 102 Brillouin stokes signals were produced over 14.3 nm of bandwidth. By adjusting appropriate BP wavelength within 1580–1600 nm a tuning range over 20 nm was obtained. In additional, average OSNR of 21.7, 17.8, 16.9, 15.5 and 16.9 dB are recorded for wavelength at 1580, 1585, 1590, 1595 and 1600 nm respectively.