Irnis Kubat

Bio: Irnis Kubat is an academic researcher from Technical University of Denmark. The author has contributed to research in topics: Supercontinuum & Chalcogenide. The author has an hindex of 9, co-authored 19 publications receiving 1324 citations. Previous affiliations of Irnis Kubat include University of Copenhagen.

Mid-infrared supercontinuum covering the 1.4–13.3 μm molecular fingerprint region using ultra-high NA chalcogenide step-index fibre

Abstract: Mid-infrared supercontinuum generation with a record-breaking spectral coverage of 1.4–13.3 µm is demonstrated by launching intense ultra-short pulses into short pieces of ultra-high numerical aperture step-index chalcogenide glass optical fibre consisting of a GaAsSe cladding and an As2Se3 core.

Multi-milliwatt mid-infrared supercontinuum generation in a suspended core chalcogenide fiber

Abstract: A low-loss suspended core As(38)Se(62) fiber with core diameter of 4.5 μm and a zero-dispersion wavelength of 3.5 μm was used for mid-infrared supercontinuum generation. The dispersion of the fiber was measured from 2.9 to 4.2 μm and was in good correspondence with the calculated dispersion. An optical parametric amplifier delivering 320 fs pulses with a peak power of 14.8 kW at a repetition rate of 21 MHz was used to pump 18 cm of suspended core fiber at different wavelengths from 3.3 to 4.7 μm. By pumping at 4.4 μm with a peak power of 5.2 kW coupled to the fiber a supercontinuum spanning from 1.7 to 7.5 μm with an average output power of 15.6 mW and an average power >5.0 μm of 4.7 mW was obtained.

Thulium pumped mid-infrared 0.9-9μm supercontinuum generation in concatenated fluoride and chalcogenide glass fibers.

Abstract: We theoretically demonstrate a novel approach for generating Mid-InfraRed SuperContinuum (MIR SC) by using concatenated fluoride and chalcogenide glass fibers pumped with a standard pulsed Thulium (Tm) laser (TFWHM=3.5ps, P0=20kW, νR=30MHz, and Pavg=2W). The fluoride fiber SC is generated in 10m of ZBLAN spanning the 0.9–4.1μm SC at the −30dB level. The ZBLAN fiber SC is then coupled into 10cm of As2Se3 chalcogenide Microstructured Optical Fiber (MOF) designed to have a zero-dispersion wavelength (λZDW) significantly below the 4.1μm InfraRed (IR) edge of the ZBLAN fiber SC, here 3.55μm. This allows the MIR solitons in the ZBLAN fiber SC to couple into anomalous dispersion in the chalcogenide fiber and further redshift out to the fiber loss edge at around 9μm. The final 0.9–9μm SC covers over 3 octaves in the MIR with around 15mW of power converted into the 6–9μm range.

Mid-infrared supercontinuum generation to 12.5μm in large NA chalcogenide step-index fibres pumped at 4.5μm

Abstract: We present numerical modeling of mid-infrared (MIR) supercontinuum generation (SCG) in dispersion-optimized chalcogenide (CHALC) step-index fibres (SIFs) with exceptionally high numerical aperture (NA) around one, pumped with mode-locked praseodymium-doped (Pr3+) chalcogenide fibre lasers. The 4.5um laser is assumed to have a repetition rate of 4MHz with 50ps long pulses having a peak power of 4.7kW. A thorough fibre design optimisation was conducted using measured material dispersion (As-Se/Ge-As-Se) and measured fibre loss obtained in fabricated fibre of the same materials. The loss was below 2.5dB/m in the 3.3–9.4μm region. Fibres with 8 and 10μm core diameters generated an SC out to 12.5 and 10.7μm in less than 2m of fibre when pumped with 0.75 and 1kW, respectively. Larger core fibres with 20μm core diameters for potential higher power handling generated an SC out to 10.6μm for the highest NA considered but required pumping at 4.7kW as well as up to 3m of fibre to compensate for the lower nonlinearities. The amount of power converted into the 8–10μm band was 7.5 and 8.8mW for the 8 and 10μm fibres, respectively. For the 20μm core fibres up to 46mW was converted.

Refractive index dispersion of chalcogenide glasses for ultra-high numerical-aperture fiber for mid-infrared supercontinuum generation

Abstract: We select a chalcogenide core glass, AsSe, and cladding glass, GeAsSe, for their disparate refractive indices yet sufficient thermal-compatibility for fabricating step index fiber (SIF) for mid-infrared supercontinuum generation (MIR-SCG). The refractive index dispersion of both bulk glasses is measured over the 0.4 µm–33 µm wavelength-range, probing the electronic and vibrational behavior of these glasses. We verify that a two-term Sellmeier model is unique and sufficient to describe the refractive index dispersion over the wavelength range for which the experimentally determined extinction coefficient is insignificant. A SIF composed of the glasses is fabricated and calculated to exhibit an ultra-high numerical aperture >0.97 over the entire wavelength range 0.4-33 µm suggesting that the SIF glass pair is a promising candidate for MIR-SCG. Material dispersion characteristics and the zero dispersion wavelength, both critical design parameters for SIF for MIR-SCG, are derived.

Mid-infrared supercontinuum covering the 1.4–13.3 μm molecular fingerprint region using ultra-high NA chalcogenide step-index fibre

Abstract: Mid-infrared supercontinuum generation with a record-breaking spectral coverage of 1.4–13.3 µm is demonstrated by launching intense ultra-short pulses into short pieces of ultra-high numerical aperture step-index chalcogenide glass optical fibre consisting of a GaAsSe cladding and an As2Se3 core.

Supercontinuum generation, photonic crystal fiber

Abstract: A topical review of numerical and experimental studies of supercontinuum generation in photonic crystal fiber is presented over the full range of experimentally reported parameters, from the femtosecond to the continuous-wave regime. Results from numerical simulations are used to discuss the temporal and spectral characteristics of the supercontinuum, and to interpret the physics of the underlying spectral broadening processes. Particular attention is given to the case of supercontinuum generation seeded by femtosecond pulses in the anomalous group velocity dispersion regime of photonic crystal fiber, where the processes of soliton fission, stimulated Raman scattering, and dispersive wave generation are reviewed in detail. The corresponding intensity and phase stability properties of the supercontinuum spectra generated under different conditions are also discussed.

Controllable spatiotemporal nonlinear effects in multimode fibres

Abstract: Highly nonlinear effects are observed in graded-index multimode optical fibres. Multimode fibres are of interest for next-generation telecommunications systems and the construction of high-energy fibre lasers. However, relatively little work has explored nonlinear pulse propagation in multimode fibres. Here, we consider highly nonlinear ultrashort pulse propagation in the anomalous-dispersion regime of a graded-index multimode fibre. Low modal dispersion and strong nonlinear coupling between the fibre's many spatial modes result in interesting behaviour. We observe spatiotemporal effects reminiscent of nonlinear optics in bulk media—self-focusing and multiple filamentation1,2—at a fraction of the usual power. By adjusting the spatial initial conditions, we generate on-demand, megawatt, ultrashort pulses tunable between 1,550 and 2,200 nm; dispersive waves over one octave; intense combs of visible light; and a multi-octave-spanning supercontinuum. Our results indicate that multimode fibres present unique opportunities for observing new spatiotemporal dynamics and phenomena. They also enable the realization of a new type of tunable, broadband fibre source that could be useful for many applications.

High-power sub-two-cycle mid-infrared pulses at 100 MHz repetition rate

Abstract: A compact source that generates sub-two-cycle-duration pulses with an average power of 0.1 W spanning 6.8–16.4 μm combines the properties of power scalability, high repetition rate and phase coherence for the first time in this spectral region. Powerful coherent light with a spectrum spanning the mid-infrared (MIR) spectral range is crucial for a number of applications in natural as well as life sciences, but so far has only been available from large-scale synchrotron sources1. Here we present a compact apparatus that generates pulses with a sub-two-cycle duration and with an average power of 0.1 W and a spectral coverage of 6.8–16.4 μm (at −30 dB). The demonstrated source combines, for the first time in this spectral region, a high power, a high repetition rate and phase coherence. The MIR pulses emerge via difference-frequency generation (DFG) driven by the nonlinearly compressed pulses of a Kerr-lens mode-locked ytterbium-doped yttrium–aluminium–garnet (Yb:YAG) thin-disc oscillator. The resultant 100 MHz MIR pulse train is hundreds to thousands of times more powerful than state-of-the-art frequency combs that emit in this range2,3,4, and offers a high dynamic range for spectroscopy in the molecular fingerprint region4,5,6,7 and an ideal prerequisite for hyperspectral imaging8 as well as for the time-domain coherent control of vibrational dynamics9,10,11.

Deep-ultraviolet to mid-infrared supercontinuum generated in solid-core ZBLAN photonic crystal fibre

Abstract: Silica-based photonic crystal fibre has proven highly successful for supercontinuum generation, with smooth and flat spectral power densities. However, fused silica glass suffers from strong material absorption in the mid-infrared (>2,500 nm), as well as ultraviolet-related optical damage (solarization), which limits performance and lifetime in the ultraviolet (<380 nm). Supercontinuum generation in silica photonic crystal fibre is therefore only possible between these limits. A number of alternative glasses have been used to extend the mid-infrared performance, including chalcogenides, fluorides and heavy-metal oxides, but none has extended the ultraviolet performance. Here, we describe the successful fabrication (using the stack-and-draw technique) of a ZBLAN photonic crystal fibre with a high air-filling fraction, a small solid core, nanoscale features and near-perfect structure. We also report its use in the generation of ultrabroadband, long-term stable, supercontinua spanning more than three octaves in the spectral range 200–2,500 nm. A low-loss ZBLAN micro-structured fibre is used to generate a supercontinuum spanning from the UV to the mid-IR (200 nm–2,500 nm). The material has high resistance even after extended operation and can withstand large spectral power densities.