Towards absorption spectroscopy by means of mid-infrared supercontinuum generation in a step index tellurite fiber

Abstract

We report on mid-infrared gas spectroscopy measurements by means of the supercontinuum absorption spectroscopy method. We developed a 80-MHz-repetition-rate mid-infrared supercontinuum light source with an average power of 40 mW generated through nonlinear propagation of 200-fs pulses in a 10-cm-long segment of step-index tellurite fiber. A compact multipass cell is used for analyzing absorption of CO2 and CH4 gases and their mixture in the 2-3.5µm spectral range. Experimental results are compared to the HITRAN database.

Recent advances in supercontinuum generation in specialty optical fibers [Invited]

“…SC generation in the MIR regime has been extensively investigated in the past 15 years with more than 400 scientific papers published on this topic. It is still a very active field of research, driven by a wide range of potential applications including molecular spectroscopy, OCT, material processing, and optical sensing [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19].…”

“…There is particular need for broadband sources of UV light for fluorescence imaging and for diagnostic and therapeutic uses in medicine [8], and the MIR covers the molecular fingerprint region and the atmospheric windows of 3-5 µm and 8-12 µm [9,10]. Covering this MIR range is necessary for OCT imaging, remote sensing, air pollution monitoring, homeland security, and minimally invasive medical surgery [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19].…”

Recent advances in supercontinuum generation in specialty optical fibers [Invited]

“…SC generation in the MIR regime has been extensively investigated in the past 15 years with more than 400 scientific papers published on this topic. It is still a very active field of research, driven by a wide range of potential applications including molecular spectroscopy, OCT, material processing, and optical sensing [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19].…”

“…There is particular need for broadband sources of UV light for fluorescence imaging and for diagnostic and therapeutic uses in medicine [8], and the MIR covers the molecular fingerprint region and the atmospheric windows of 3-5 µm and 8-12 µm [9,10]. Covering this MIR range is necessary for OCT imaging, remote sensing, air pollution monitoring, homeland security, and minimally invasive medical surgery [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19].…”