Zero-dispersion wavelength independent quasi-CW pumped supercontinuum generation

Continuous wave (CW) pumped supercontinuum generation depends strongly on the zero-dispersion wavelength (ZDW) of the fiber due to the low peak power. Here we study several photonic crystal fibers by use of a gain-switched CW pump laser and investigate for what power level the supercontinuum reaches the silica mid-infrared loss edge and the bandwidth becomes independent of the ZDW. We show that for a quasi-CW power of more than 350 W the loss edge limits the broadening, and at 500 W we obtain a variation of only 4% in the achieved bandwidth for fibers with a ZDW in a 50 nm region around the 1064 nm pump wavelength.