Increase of the SBS threshold in a short highly nonlinear fiber by applying a temperature distribution

We evaluate numerically and experimentally the stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) threshold increase for a short, highly nonlinear GeO/sub 2/-doped fiber by applying different temperature distributions along the fiber. The temperature coefficient for the Brillouin frequency downshift is measured to 1.2 MHz//spl deg/C. A threefold SBS threshold increase is obtained for a 100-m long highly nonlinear fiber with a 140/spl deg/C temperature gradient. The proposed scheme is implemented in a wavelength converter based on fiber optical four-wave mixing (FWM). The SBS suppression scheme shows negligible influence on the FWM efficiency as well as the wavelength conversion bandwidth. The temperature coefficient for the zero dispersion wavelength is measured to 0.062 nm//spl deg/C.