Multi-octave supercontinuum generation from mid-infrared filamentation in a bulk crystal

F. Silva, D. R. Austin, A. Thai, M. Baudisch, M. Hemmer, D. Faccio, A. Couairon, J. Biegert

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

269 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

In supercontinuum generation, various propagation effects combine to produce a dramatic spectral broadening of intense ultrashort optical pulses. With a host of applications, supercontinuum sources are often required to possess a range of properties such as spectral coverage from the ultraviolet across the visible and into the infrared, shot-to-shot repeatability, high spectral energy density and an absence of complicated pulse splitting. Here we present an all-in-one solution, the first supercontinuum in a bulk homogeneous material extending from 450 nm into the mid-infrared. The spectrum spans 3.3 octaves and carries high spectral energy density (2 pJ nm(-1)-10 nJ nm(-1)), and the generation process has high shot-to-shot reproducibility and preserves the carrier-to-envelope phase. Our method, based on filamentation of femtosecond mid-infrared pulses in the anomalous dispersion regime, allows for compact new supercontinuum sources.

Original languageEnglish
Article number807
Pages (from-to)-
Number of pages5
JournalNature Communications
Volume3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 May 2012

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