Abstract
All-fiber mid-infrared (MIR) supercontinuum generation (SCG) has been a reality for more than a decade [1], [2], relying on mechanical butt-coupling to couple light between dissimilar fibers. In recent years, reports of all-spliced SCG has emerged due to advances in fusion splicing methods and instrumentation [3]–[5]. From a practical point of view, the all-spliced solution is favourable because it provides superior flexibility in terms of alignment and diameter mismatch, reduced Fresnel reflection, increased thermo-mechanical stability, and reduced chance of surface contamination and degradation. On the other hand, splicing dissimilar fibers also has a number of disadvantages. Firstly, the differences in thermal expansion coefficients causes stress gradients at the splice point during laser ON/OFF cycles, which may eventually lead to permanent damage. Secondly, there is no way to lower the intensity or reduce back reflection coupling by using angled facets or introducing a small air-gap [3]. It is particularly challenging in cascaded SCG, since the pump spectrum may extend into the high-loss region of the subsequent fibers in the cascade.
Original language | English |
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Publication date | 30 Jun 2023 |
Number of pages | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 30 Jun 2023 |
Event | 2023 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe & European Quantum Electronics Conference - Munich, Germany, Munich, Germany Duration: 26 Jun 2023 → 30 Jun 2023 |
Conference
Conference | 2023 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe & European Quantum Electronics Conference |
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Location | Munich, Germany |
Country/Territory | Germany |
City | Munich |
Period | 26/06/2023 → 30/06/2023 |
Bibliographical note
This work is supported by Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe, the European Union’s Framework Programmes for Research and Innovation, under Grant Agreements No. 101015825 (project TRIAGE), No. 101058054 (project TURBO) and No. 101057404 (project ZDZW). Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. The European Union cannot be held responsible for themKeywords
- Supercontinuum generation
- Thermal expansion
- Splicing
- Surface contamination
- Thermomechanical processes
- Quantum cascade lasers
- Thermal stresses