We report a double-stage non-collinear Brillouin amplifier structure with high amplification and low noise, achieving an energy amplification of 6 × 10¹¹ and a signal-to-noise ratio of 10³ for an input signal of 5.5 × 10⁻¹⁴J in the regime above the pump’s stimulated Brillouin scattering threshold. The signal of the first-stage amplifier is efficiently amplified and separated from the noise output. The saturation amplification with noise suppressing is implemented in the second stage. The design principles of system parameters such as the intersection angle between the pump and signal beams, the pump energy, and the beam diameter are given.

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1. I. M. Bel’dyugin, V. F. Efimkov, S. I. Mikhailov, and I. G. Zubarev, “Amplification of weak Stokes signals in the transient regime of stimulated Brillouin scattering,” J. Russ. Laser Res. 26(1), 1–12 (2005). [CrossRef]
2. Y. Glick and S. Sternklar, “Reducing the noise in Brillouin amplification by mode-selective phase conjugation,” Opt. Lett. 17(12), 862–864 (1992). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
3. Y. Glick and S. Sternklar, “1010 Amplification and phase conjugation with high efficiency achieved by overcoming noise limitations in Brillouin two-beam coupling,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 12(6), 1074–1995 (1995). [CrossRef]
4. A. M. Scott, D. E. Watkins, and P. Tapster, “Gain and noise characteristics of a Brillouin amplifier and their dependence on the spatial structure of the pump beam,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 7(6), 929–935 (1990). [CrossRef]
5. Z. W. Lu, S. Y. Wang, and D. Y. Lin, “Investigation of strong signal Brillouin amplification when the intensity of Stokes beam higher than that of the pump,” Laser Part. Beams 26, 315–319 (2008).
6. D. C. Jones, A. M. Scott, and I. Stewart, “Response of a Brillouin amplifier and four-wave mixing mirror to a spectrally broadened signal beam,” Opt. Lett. 20, 692–694 (1995). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
7. W. Gao, Z. W. Lu, W. M. He, and Y. K. Dong, “High-gain amplification of weak Stokes signal of stimulated Brillouin scattering in water,” Acta Phys. Sin. 56, 2248–2252 (2008).
8. S. Y. Wang, Z. W. Lu, D. Y. Lin, D. Lei, and D. B. Jiang, “Investigation of Serial Coherent Laser Beam Combination Based on Brillouin Amplification,” Laser Part. Beams 25(01), 79–83 (2007). [CrossRef]
9. Y. Yamamoto and T. Mukai, “Fundamentals of optical amplifiers,” Opt. Quantum Electron. 21(1), S1–S14 (1989). [CrossRef]
10. S. Sternklar, Y. Glick, and S. Jackel, “Noise limitations of Brillouin two-beam coupling: theory and experiment,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 9(3), 391–397 (1992). [CrossRef]
11. Y. Glick and S. Sternklar, “Angular Bandwidth for Brillouin Amplication,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 11(9), 1539–1543 (1994). [CrossRef]
12. W. Gao, Z. W. Lu, W. M. He, Y. K. Dong, and W. L. J. Hasi, “Characteristics of amplified spectrum of a weak frequency-detuned signal in a Brillouin amplifier,” Laser Part. Beams (to be published).

Acta Phys. Sin.

• W. Gao, Z. W. Lu, W. M. He, and Y. K. Dong, “High-gain amplification of weak Stokes signal of stimulated Brillouin scattering in water,” Acta Phys. Sin. 56, 2248–2252 (2008).

J. Opt. Soc. Am. B

• Y. Glick and S. Sternklar, “1010 Amplification and phase conjugation with high efficiency achieved by overcoming noise limitations in Brillouin two-beam coupling,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 12(6), 1074–1995 (1995). [CrossRef]
• A. M. Scott, D. E. Watkins, and P. Tapster, “Gain and noise characteristics of a Brillouin amplifier and their dependence on the spatial structure of the pump beam,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 7(6), 929–935 (1990). [CrossRef]
• S. Sternklar, Y. Glick, and S. Jackel, “Noise limitations of Brillouin two-beam coupling: theory and experiment,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 9(3), 391–397 (1992). [CrossRef]
• Y. Glick and S. Sternklar, “Angular Bandwidth for Brillouin Amplication,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 11(9), 1539–1543 (1994). [CrossRef]

J. Russ. Laser Res.

• I. M. Bel’dyugin, V. F. Efimkov, S. I. Mikhailov, and I. G. Zubarev, “Amplification of weak Stokes signals in the transient regime of stimulated Brillouin scattering,” J. Russ. Laser Res. 26(1), 1–12 (2005). [CrossRef]

Laser Part. Beams

• S. Y. Wang, Z. W. Lu, D. Y. Lin, D. Lei, and D. B. Jiang, “Investigation of Serial Coherent Laser Beam Combination Based on Brillouin Amplification,” Laser Part. Beams 25(01), 79–83 (2007). [CrossRef]
• Z. W. Lu, S. Y. Wang, and D. Y. Lin, “Investigation of strong signal Brillouin amplification when the intensity of Stokes beam higher than that of the pump,” Laser Part. Beams 26, 315–319 (2008).
• W. Gao, Z. W. Lu, W. M. He, Y. K. Dong, and W. L. J. Hasi, “Characteristics of amplified spectrum of a weak frequency-detuned signal in a Brillouin amplifier,” Laser Part. Beams (to be published).

Opt. Lett.

• D. C. Jones, A. M. Scott, and I. Stewart, “Response of a Brillouin amplifier and four-wave mixing mirror to a spectrally broadened signal beam,” Opt. Lett. 20, 692–694 (1995). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• Y. Glick and S. Sternklar, “Reducing the noise in Brillouin amplification by mode-selective phase conjugation,” Opt. Lett. 17(12), 862–864 (1992). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Quantum Electron.

• Y. Yamamoto and T. Mukai, “Fundamentals of optical amplifiers,” Opt. Quantum Electron. 21(1), S1–S14 (1989). [CrossRef]

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