| CPC G02B 6/02214 (2013.01) [G02F 1/3513 (2013.01); G02F 1/353 (2013.01); G02F 1/365 (2013.01); G02F 1/3528 (2021.01)] | 23 Claims |

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1. A supercontinuum light source comprising a pump light source arranged to emit pump light and a nonlinear fiber having a core arranged to receive the pump light wherein said pump light and nonlinear fiber are arranged so that a supercontinuum comprising infrared wavelengths is generated in said nonlinear fiber from said pump light, said nonlinear fiber having a dispersion profile, the dispersion profile comprising:
a. a zero dispersion wavelength ZDW,
b. a positive peak value at a peak wavelength longer than said zero dispersion wavelength ZDW, and
c. a minimum value of dispersion at a minimum wavelength longer than the peak wavelength,
wherein said pump light is arranged to comprise energy at one or more pump wavelengths which are longer than said zero dispersion wavelength ZDW, whereby said dispersion profile causes a soliton red-shift that occurs when said supercontinuum is generated in said nonlinear fiber to be most accelerated at wavelengths at which Raman based soliton energy loss and an increasing mode field diameter cause the soliton red-shift to slow down, thereby overcoming said soliton red-shift slow down and enabling continuing soliton red-shift to longer infrared wavelengths.
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