Stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) is the most important example of a stimulated scattering process-light scattering that occurs when the intensity of the light field itself affects the propagating medium. A phenomenon that has been known of for some 35 years in solid state laser research, it has recently become relevant in the optical fiber industry, due to the increasing intensity required in optical fiber cores (and their long interaction lengths). SBS is one of the major limiting factors on the amount of power that can be transmitted via an optical fiber.

This book describes the underlying physics of SBS, much of which are applicable to other fields of research, including, to some extent, plasma physics. It provides references to experimental details throughout. Later chapters investigate more advanced concepts and feature the problems faced by researchers using optical fibers.