Generation of watt-level supercontinuum covering 2-6.5 µm in an all-fiber structured infrared nonlinear transmission system

Opt Express. 2021 Feb 1;29(3):4048-4057. doi: 10.1364/OE.415534.

Abstract

We demonstrate a watt-level mid-infrared supercontinuum source, with the spectrum covering the infrared region from 2 to 6.5 µm, in an all-fiber structured laser transmission system. To further improve the SC spectral bandwidth, power and system compactness in the follow-up As2S3 fiber, we theoretically and experimentally explored some knotty problems that would potentially result in the As2S3 fiber end-facet failure and low SC output power during the high-power butt-coupling process and proposed an optimal coupling distance on the premise of the safety of As2S3 fiber end face. In addition, we also built a multi-pulse pumping model for the first time to more precisely estimate the SC spectral evolution in As2S3 fiber. This work will give an important reference to someone who is working on the all-fiber structured, high-power mid- and far-infrared supercontinuum source.