Chalcogenide microporous fibers for linear and nonlinear applications in the mid-infrared

A new type of microstructured fiber for mid-infrared light is introduced. The chalcogenide glass-based microporous fiber allows extensive dispersion engineering that enables design of flattened waveguide dispersion windows and multiple zero-dispersion points – either blue-shifted or red-shifted from the bulk material zero-dispersion point – including the spectral region of CO₂ laser lines ?10.6 µm. Supercontinuum simulations for a specific chalcogenide microporous fiber are performed that demonstrate the potential of the proposed microstructured fiber design to generate a broad continuum in the middle-infrared region using pulsed CO₂ laser as a pump. In addition, an analytical description of the Raman response function of chalcogenide As₂Se₃ is provided, and a Raman time constant of 5.4 fs at the 1.54 µm pump is computed. What distinguishes the microporous fiber from the microwire, nanowire and other small solid-core designs is the prospect of extensive chromatic dispersion engineering combined with the low loss guidance created by the porosity, thus offering long interaction lengths in nonlinear media. ©2010 Optical Society of America

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