Flat supercontinuum generation covering C-band to U-band in two-stage Er/Yb co-doped double-clad fiber amplifier

Abstract

Supercontinuum generation in the gain fiber in two-stage nanosecond pulse Er/Yb co-doped double-clad fiber amplifier had been demonstrated for the first time to our knowledge instead of the conventional method in which nonlinear fiber was pumped by lasers. The Er/Yb co-doped double-clad fiber acts as the gain media and nonlinear media. This route reduces the splice between fiber laser and nonlinear fiber. The supercontinuum was achieved with spectrum range from 1530 nm to beyond 1700 nm at 6 W output power covering the total C-band to U-band. From the analyzing of the spectra at different stages in the amplifiers, it can be found that it is the modulation instability in the anomalous dispersion regime that initiates the supercontinuum gereration.