Step-index fluoride fibers with all-normal dispersion for coherent mid-infrared supercontinuum generation

Step-index fluorozirconate (ZBLAN) and fluoroindate (InF3) fibers with all-normal dispersion (ANDi) are proposed for mid-infrared (MIR) nonlinear application. The fibers have a flat and near-zero ANDi profile at the MIR region to generate a highly coherent MIR supercontinuum (SC). A multiwatt coherent MIR SC is allowed to guide in the ANDi ZBLAN and InF3 fibers of 5.5 mu m and 6.5 mu m core diameters. The MIR SC is simulated in the ANDi fluoride fibers pumped with high peak power at 1960 nm and 2700 nm. The simulation results show that a highly coherent MIR SC spanning from 1100 to 3000 nm with flatness < 10 dB generates from the ANDi ZBLAN fiber pumped at 1960 nm, and a highly coherent MIR SC extending from 1500 nm to 3800 nm can generate from the ANDi InF3 fiber pumped at 2700 nm. These ANDi step-index fluoride fibers are available and promising nonlinear media for achieving a high-power all-fiber structure-coherent MIR SC source. (C) 2019 Optical Society of America