CPC G02B 6/02338 (2013.01) [G02B 6/02342 (2013.01); G02F 1/365 (2013.01); C03B 2201/12 (2013.01); C03B 2201/22 (2013.01); C03B 2201/28 (2013.01); C03B 2201/32 (2013.01); G02F 1/3528 (2021.01)] | 25 Claims |
1. A supercontinuum source, comprising:
a pump source; and
a supercontinuum generator configured for receiving electromagnetic radiation derived from the pump source and for generating supercontinuum radiation, the supercontinuum generator comprising a passive nonlinear microstructured optical fibre having a core region comprising silica and a cladding region including longitudinally extending air-holes disposed about the cladding region,
wherein at least a part of the core region of the microstructured optical fibre is co-doped with aluminium and fluorine, wherein the aluminium dopant reduces light-induced non-bridging oxygen hole centre loss in the nonlinear microstructured optical fibre, and the fluorine compensates for at least part of the change in refractive index that would otherwise be caused by the presence of the aluminium,
wherein the core region of the microstructured optical fibre further comprises hydrogen and/or deuterium, and
wherein the aluminium is provided in a doped region, and the number of aluminium atoms in the doped region is greater than 0.05% of the number of silicon atoms in the doped region.
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