Supercontinuum system with microstructured photonic crystal fibers based on fluoride glass

Abstract

A fiber-based supercontinuum system including: a pump laser; a ZBLAN or other fluoride-based microstructured glass fiber; and control electronics; wherein the control electronics control the pump laser to generate laser pulses into the ZBLAN or other fluoride-based microstructured glass fiber. The fabrication of a ZBLAN photonic crystal fiber with sub-micron features and large air- filling fraction and the use of the fiber to generate a stable supercontinuum (200 to 2500nm) from 140fs, 1nJ pulses at 1042nm are disclosed.

Description

[0001] Cross References to Related Applications [0002] This application cites the benefit of US Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 897,624, filed October 30, 2013. The disclosure of US Provisional Patent Application 61 / 897,624 is hereby incorporated by reference. technical field [0003] The invention relates to the field of supercontinuum systems, in particular to a supercontinuum system with a microstructure photonic crystal fiber based on fluoride glass. Background technique [0004] The group velocity dispersion (GVD) of solid silica-air photonic crystal fibers (PCFs) can be tuned over a wide spectral range by changing the core size and air filling ratio [1]. In particular the PCF can be designed to have a point of zero dispersion near the wavelength of many common lasers so that bright supercontinuum (SC) light can be generated. Many different lasers have been scaled up successfully and efficiently in this way, from fs pulses to continuous waves [2]. As a result...

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Problems solved by technology

However, one limitation of existing PCF-based SC sources is the strong material absorption of fused silica in the mid-infrared beyond 2 μm, and the mid-exposure caused by ultraviolet light (starting at wavelengths < 380 nm), at both The generation of SC is constrained within a limit

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