Picosecond Supercontinuum Generation in All-Normal Dispersion Optical Fibers Enabled by Polarization Instabilities

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates efficient, broadband supercontinuum generation in all-normal-dispersion fibers using picosecond pulses, leveraging polarization modulation instability and cascaded Raman scattering.

Contribution

It introduces a new regime of supercontinuum generation in the picosecond pulse domain, expanding potential applications of fiber-based broadband sources.

Findings

Achieved octave-spanning spectra from 600 nm to 1650 nm.

Demonstrated supercontinuum generation with picosecond pulses in highly birefringent fibers.

Identified polarization modulation instability and Raman scattering as key mechanisms.

Abstract

Supercontinuum generation in all-normal-dispersion optical fibers has so far been predominantly explored under femtosecond pumping conditions. Here, we demonstrate that efficient and broadband supercontinuum generation can also be achieved in the long picosecond regime by pumping a highly birefringent all-normal-dispersion silica-based photonic crystal fiber at 1064 nm. The observed spectral broadening results from the combined action of polarization modulation instability and cascaded Raman scattering, enabling octave-spanning spectra extending from 600 nm to 1650 nm. These results establish a distinct operating regime for supercontinuum generation and open new perspectives for robust, high-power broadband fiber sources.