Broadband mid-infrared supercontinuum generation using a novel selectively air-hole filled As2S5-As2S3 hybrid PCF

Abstract

In this paper, we report analysis, design and numerical modeling of ultra-broadband mid-infrared supercontinuum generation across 2.5–15μm ‘fingerprint region’ using a 1.8cm newly designed selectively air-hole filled As2S5-As2S3 hybrid photonic crystal fiber (PCF) pumped with 50fs laser pulses with peak power of 8kW at 4.5μm. The PCF is engineered to achieve a flattened dispersion of 0±1.5ps/nm/km over a wide wavelength range of 2000nm (4000–6000nm). Such flat dispersion of the proposed PCF promises SC generation with over 6.5μm spectral bandwidth and 10μm long wavelength edge by directly pumping the PCF with ultra-short pulses at different wavelengths from 4 to 6μm. Proposed PCF design has no nano-scale air-holes geometrical variation which remains challenging in fabrication. Proposed PCF has potential applications in food quality control, gas sensing and early cancer diagnostics.