We have proposed a way to obtain large optically controlled delay for subnanosecond pulses and simultaneously avoid the pulse distortions via stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) in optical fibers at cw pumping by the use of longitudinally nonuniform fibers with the Brillouin frequency linearly varying with distance. If the range of Brillouin frequency variation along the fiber covers the whole pulse spectrum, the delay of subnanosecond pulses is linearly proportional to the gain, could be larger than the pulse duration, and the pulse broadening is minimum. We have shown this by solving three-wave SBS equations for realistic fiber lengths, both single subnanosecond pulses and sequences of subnanosecond pulses.

• Received 17 December 2006

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.75.021802