title: Adaptive broadband continuum source at 1200-1400 nm based on an all-fiber dual-wavelength master-oscillator power amplifier and a high-birefringence fiber.
abstract: We experimentally analyze the stimulated Raman scattering characteristics of a high-birefringence fiber (HBF), which presents an extraordinary level of spectral broadening incurred by the strong nonlinear interaction between the pump and Stokes pulses via the polarization-mode dispersion and group-velocity dispersion of the fiber. We also investigate the impact of the inter-pulse time-delay on the additional spectra broadening when dual-wavelength pump pulses are used. Exploiting these unique SRS properties of the HBF, we develop a novel Raman continuum source based on an all-fiber dual-wavelength master-oscillator power amplifier that can generate a dip-free spectrum in the 1200-1400-nm spectral range. We finally obtain a broadband continuum having an average power of ~840 mW and a 3-dB bandwidth of ~240 nm centered at 1200-1400 nm, which also represents a good spectral flatness and conversion efficiency. This type of source is very useful and important for optical coherence tomography applications, for example.
authors.affiliation: Laser Engineering and Applications Laboratory, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-744, South Korea.
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Vazquez-Zuniga
authors.forename: Hong Sig
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Youngchul
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Yoonchan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jeong
mesh_terms: D000669:Amplifiers, Electronic; D001718:Birefringence; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005336:Fiber Optic Technology / Q000295:instrumentation*; D007834:Lasers; D008029:Lighting / Q000295:instrumentation*; D009991:Oscillometry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012031:Refractometry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D020349:Surface Plasmon Resonance / Q000295:instrumentation*