Mid-infrared supercontinuum generation to similar to 4.7 mu m in a ZBLAN fiber pumped by an optical parametric generator

Abstract

We present mid-infrared (mid-IR) supercontinuum (SC) generation from a stepindex fluorozirconate fiber pumped at 2.25 mu m. When 70 ps pulses with a peak power of 128 kW were launched into a ZBLAN fiber with a zero dispersion wavelength at 1.603 mu m, SC was extended to 4695 nm, with spectral flatness below 10 dB, in the 2.00-4.56 mu m range. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time such a broad and flat mid-IR SC spectrum from a ZBLAN fiber pumped with ps pulses has been achieved. The SC evolution as a function of pump wavelength and pump pulse energy was also experimentally demonstrated.