High average power supercontinuum generation in photonic crystal fibers

• Published in: Optics communications Vol. 228; no. 1; pp. 71 - 78
• Main Authors: Schreiber, T., Limpert, J., Zellmer, H., Tünnermann, A., Hansen, K.P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.12.2003; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Circuit properties; Electric, optical and optoelectronic circuits; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Fiber amplifiers; Frequency conversion ; harmonic generation, including high-order harmonic generation; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Harmonic generation; Harmonic generation, frequency conversion; Integrated optics. Optical fibers and wave guides; Nonlinear optics; Optical and optoelectronic circuits; Optical materials; Optical solitons; nonlinear guided waves; Optics; Photonic bandgap materials; Photonic crystal fibers; Physics; Propagation, scattering, and losses; solitons; Solitons; Supercontinuum generation; Supercontinuum generation; 42.81.Q; 42.65.R; Fiber amplifiers; Photonic crystal fibers; Solitons; Harmonic generation; Optical fibers; Second harmonic generation; Pulse propagation; Digital simulation; Optical solitons; Photonic crystals; Fiber amplifier; Optical frequency conversion; Experimental study; Nonlinear optics
• ISSN: 0030-4018; 1873-0310
• DOI: 10.1016/j.optcom.2003.09.091

We report on the generation of a high average power, flat supercontinuum using a compact ytterbium-doped fiber amplifier. The femto- and picosecond pulses delivered by the amplifier are coupled into two different photonic crystal fibers. By using picosecond pulses the highest output power of 5 W with a spectrum ranging from below 500 nm up to above 1800 nm is obtained. Numerical simulations are compared with the experimental spectra and it is shown that the main part of the broadening mechanism is a soliton effect even for picosecond pulses. Furthermore, second and third harmonic processes leading to some sharp spectral lines in the visible region are investigated.