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Fundamental amplitude noise limitations to supercontinuum spectra generated in a microstructured fiber

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An Erratum to this article was published on 01 October 2003

Abstract

Broadband supercontinuum spectra are generated in a microstructured fiber using femtosecond laser pulses. Noise properties of these spectra are studied through experiments and numerical simulations based on a generalized stochastic nonlinear Schrödinger equation. In particular, the relative intensity noise as a function of wavelength across the supercontinuum is measured over a wide range of input pulse parameters, and experimental results and simulations are shown to be in good quantitative agreement. For certain input pulse parameters, amplitude fluctuations as large as 50% are observed. The simulations clarify that the intensity noise on the supercontinuum arises from the amplification of two noise inputs during propagation – quantum-limited shot noise on the input pulse, and spontaneous Raman scattering in the fiber. The amplification factor is a sensitive function of the input pulse parameters. Short input pulses are critical for the generation of very broad supercontinua with low noise.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute of Standards and Technology, 325 Broadway, 80305, Boulder, CO, USA

    K.L. Corwin, N.R. Newbury, S.A. Diddams, B.R. Washburn & K. Weber

  2. Laboratoire d’Optique P.M. Duffieux, Université de Franche-Comté, 25030, Besançon, France

    J.M. Dudley

  3. Service d’Optique et Acoustique, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Av. F.D. Roosevelt 50, CP 194/5, 1050, Brussels, Belgium

    S. Coen

  4. OFS Laboratories, 700 Mountain Avenue, 07974, Murray Hill, NJ, USA

    R.S. Windeler

Authors
  1. K.L. Corwin
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  2. N.R. Newbury
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  3. J.M. Dudley
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  4. S. Coen
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  5. S.A. Diddams
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  6. B.R. Washburn
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  7. K. Weber
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  8. R.S. Windeler
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Correspondence to K.L. Corwin.

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PACS

42.50.Lc; 42.65.Re; 42.81.Dp; 02.60.Cb

An Erratum to this article can be found at

http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00340-003-1301-9

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Corwin, K., Newbury, N., Dudley, J. et al. Fundamental amplitude noise limitations to supercontinuum spectra generated in a microstructured fiber. Appl Phys B 77, 269–277 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00340-003-1175-x

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