Coherent white light source and optical devices therewith

摘要

A coherent white light source generates a uniform and continuous coherent white light spectra over 200 nm at a low pump power. The source is based on a pump light source which produces pump optical pulses at a wavelength lambda 0 and an optical waveguide to receive a pump optical pulse at lambda 0 to generate a white pulse having a wavelength spread of DELTA lambda . The optical waveguide is characterized by having dispersion properties such that four-wave mixing light having a wavelength spread of lambda 0+/- DELTA lambda /2 is produced, and the power gain of the four-wave mixing light is greater than 1. These properties of the waveguide are defined by: the path length of the waveguide device ln G0/(2¦ gamma ¦P) in units of ÄkmÜ. an absolute value of the dispersion slope to be not more than 16(¦ gamma ¦ E)/( DELTA lambda <2>ln G0) in units of Äps/nm<2>/kml and an absolute value of the dispersion at the wavelength lambda 0 to be not more than (16/ pi c) lambda 0<2>¦ gamma ¦P/( DELTA lambda )<2> in units of Äps/nm/kmÜ. Examples of optical devices utilizing such a supor-widehand coherent white light source are demonstrated.