Abstract

The fundamental limits to the compressibility of broadband supercontinuum spectra generated in photonic crystal fiber are examined using numerical simulations based on a stochastic extended nonlinear Schrödinger equation. An ensemble average over multiple simulations performed with random quantum noise on the input pulse and spontaneous Raman noise during propagation allows a quantitative study of the effects of pulse to pulse fluctuations on the ability to obtain few-cycle pulses after compensation of the supercontinuum spectral phase. We study the dependence of the supercontinuum compressibility on the input pulse duration, the photonic crystal fiber length, and the spectral resolution of the pulse compressor employed.

© 2004 Optical Society of America

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History
Original Manuscript: April 27, 2004
Revised Manuscript: May 14, 2004
Published: May 30, 2004

References

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