Two octaves mid-infrared supercontinuum generation in As_2Se_3 microwires

Abstract

We report the first demonstration of mid-infrared supercontinuum generation in As₂Se₃ chalcogenide microwires with the added advantage of using low energy pulses. The generated SC covers two octaves of bandwidth from 1.1 μm to 4.4 μm at -30 dB. This exceeds the broadest reported SC bandwidth in As₂Se₃ microwires by a factor of 3.5. The microwire geometry and pumping conditions are the key parameters in generating the 3.3 μm bandwidth while using a low pump pulse energy of 500 pJ.