Method and device for creating supercontinuum light pulses

摘要

A method of spectrally broadening light pulses includes the steps of providing the light pulses with a laser source, said light pulses having a pulse duration below 1 ps, in-coupling the light pulses into a hollow optical waveguide device, and spectrally broadening the light pulses propagating along the pulse guiding medium by subjecting them to a Raman nonlinearity via excitation of a Raman polarization having a first Raman period, wherein the optical waveguide device subjects the light pulses to anomalous group velocity dispersion which combines with the spectral broadening of the light pulses to result in a Raman-enhanced self-compression of the light pulses, and the light pulses further propagate along the optical waveguide device such that the Raman-enhanced self compression results in a further excitation of a Raman polarization having a second Raman period which is faster than the first Raman period.

主权项

1. A method of spectrally broadening light pulses, comprising the steps of
providing the light pulses with a laser source, said light pulses having a pulse duration below 1 ps, in-coupling the light pulses into a hollow optical waveguide device including a Raman active pulse guiding medium, said light pulses being subjected to a Raman nonlinearity in the optical waveguide device, and spectrally broadening the light pulses propagating along the pulse guiding medium by subjecting them to the Raman nonlinearity via excitation of a Raman polarization having a first Raman period, wherein the optical waveguide device including the pulse guiding medium subjects the light pulses to anomalous group velocity dispersion which combines with the spectral broadening of the light pulses to result in a Raman-enhanced self-compression of the light pulses, and the light pulses further propagate along the optical waveguide device such that the Raman-enhanced self-compression results in a further excitation of a Raman polarization having a second Raman period which is faster than the first Raman period, resulting in a further spectral broadening of the light pulses up to a supercontinuum spectrum including wavelengths less than 300 nm.