Continuum Generation
The unique properties of Mesophotonics materials mean they can
be used for white light continuum generation.
The proprietary combination of mesophotonics materials and waveguides
have enabled this revolution in continuum generation giving unrivalled
combinations of high resistance to damage, low threshold, high stability
and broad spectral output all from silicon based chips measuring
only 7x10x1mm.
The continuum output shows an exceptional smooth output spectrum
with no visible spectral noise. The lack of noise is a result of
designing the waveguides to operate far from the zero of group velocity
dispersion thus avoiding the competing non-linear processes that
are present in the high noise continuum generated in optical fibres.
Mesophotonics CGC chips are designed for the efficient generation
of white light continuum from femtosecond pulses of at least 10nJ
energy at around 800nm.
Top view of continuum being
generated in a 10mm Mesophotonics chip
In terms of threshold and damage the Mesophotonics continuum generating
chips (CGC’s) combine the best of bulk and fibre media. Continua
can be generated with pulse energies as low as 10nJ, far lower than
threshold observed in bulk media and comparable to that observed
in fibre. Meanwhile damage testing has shown the waveguides capable
of withstanding femtosecond pulses with energies of several picoJoules
and several watts of blue light, far higher than fibres and close
to bulk media such as sapphire.
Next Generation Mesophotonics continuum generation chips are now
available for shipment
Continuum Applications
White light continuum light sources have numerous applications
including optical coherence tomography where the continuum light
source is used to detect cell level abnormalities in skin and other
soft tissue. Continuum white light sources are also used in a range
of scientific applications where materials characterisation can
be improved according to how samples interact with such a broad
range of colours. Recently techniques have also been developed to
generating the world’s most accurate clocks and time standards
using continuum light sources.
What is Continuum Generation?
Continuum generation is the creation of a white laser beam of
light containing all the colours of the rainbow. This is in contrast
to most normal lasers which are just one colour e.g. red or blue.
Continua sources therefore contain all of colours that are in sun
or room light but in a very narrow laser beam. The continuum is
generated when a femtosecond laser beam made up of very short pulses
of light (less than 1 millionth of 1 millionth of a second long)
is incident on certain materials such as the mesophotonics continuum
generation chip.
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