Low-power Mid-IR Supercontinuum and Rogue Wave Generation in Chalcogenide Waveguides

Abstract

We present numerical results of supercontinuum (SC) generation in the mid-IR spectral region, specifically addressing the molecular fingerprint window ranging from 2.5 to 25 μm. By solving the Generalized Nonlinear Schrödinger Equation (GNLSE) in a chalcogenide waveguide, we demonstrate low-power SC generation beyond 10 μm from a pump at 5 μm. Further, we investigate the short-pulse and CW regimes, and show that a simple linear dispersion profile, applicable to a broad range of chalcogenide media, is sufficient to account for the broad SC generation, and yield rich pulse dynamics leading to the frequent occurrence of rogue wave events. Results are encouraging as they point to the feasibility of producing bright and coherent light, by means of single low-power tabletop laser pumping schemes, in a spectral region that finds applications in such diverse areas as molecular spectroscopy, metrology and tomography, among others, and that is not easily addressable with other light sources.