title: Mid-infrared supercontinuum generation to 4.5 microm in ZBLAN fluoride fibers by nanosecond diode pumping.
abstract: A mid-infrared supercontinuum (SC) is generated in ZBLAN (ZrF4-BaF2-LaF3-AlF3-NaF...) fluoride fibers from amplified nanosecond laser diode pulses with a continuous spectrum from approximately 0.8 microm to beyond 4.5 microm. The SC has an average power of approximately 23 mW, a pump-to-SC power conversion efficiency exceeding 50%, and a spectral power density of approximately -20 dBm/nm over a large fraction of the spectrum. The SC generation is initiated by the breakup of nanosecond laser diode pulses into femtosecond pulses through modulation instability, and the spectrum is then broadened primarily through fiber nonlinearities in approximately 2-7 m lengths of ZBLAN fiber. The SC long-wavelength edge is consistent with the intrinsic ZBLAN material absorption.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA. caxia@umich.edu
authors.forename: Chenan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Malay
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Ojas P
authors.initials: OP
authors.lastname: Kulkarni
authors.forename: Mohammed N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Islam
authors.forename: Fred L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Terry
authors.forename: Mike J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Freeman
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Poulain
authors.forename: Gwenael
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mazé