Supercontinuum light source

Abstract

A supercontinuum light source can include a seed laser arranged to provide seed pulses with a pulse frequency Fseed; a pulse frequency multiplier (PFM) arranged to multiply the seed pulses by converting pulses having the pulse frequency Fseed to pump pulses with a pulse frequency Fpump, where Fpump is larger than Fseed; and a non-linear element arranged to receive said pump pulses and convert said pump pulses to pulses of supercontinuum light. The PFM can further include a splitter for splitting pulses into first and second sub beams each having the same pulse frequency, where the PFM is configured such that the sub beams experience different delays; and a combiner for combining said first and second sub beams into a beam having the pulse frequency that is greater than said same pulse frequency. The splitter can have an uneven splitter ratio.

1 . A supercontinuum light source comprising:
 a seed laser arranged to provide seed pulses with a pulse frequency F seed ;   a pulse frequency multiplier (PFM) arranged to multiply the seed pulses by converting pulses having a pulse frequency of F seed  to pump pulses with a pulse frequency F pump , where F pump  is larger than F seed ;   a non-linear element arranged to receive said pump pulses and convert said pump pulses to pulses of supercontinuum light;   wherein said PFM further comprises a splitter for splitting seed pulses into first and second sub beams each having a pulse frequency F seed , said PFM configured such that said sub beams experience different delays;   another splitter for splitting out further sub beams each having a pulse frequency that is greater than F seed  and less than F pump , said PFM configured such that said further sub beams experience different delays; and a combiner for combining the further sub beams into a beam having the pulse frequency F pump ; and   wherein said seed laser is arranged to provide seed pulses with a pulse duration t seed  that is longer than about 1 ps.