Experimental Investigation of Supercontinuum Generation in Photonic Crystal Fibers Pumped With Sub-ns Pulses

We experimentally investigate a supercontinuum generation in a series of photonic crystal fibers pumped with sub-ns pulses. The fibers are designed to have zero dispersion wavelengths close to 1064 nm, but they differ with respect to the lattice constant and air hole size. We focus on the supercontinuum generation mechanism and on the shape of spectra generated with the use of these photonic crystal fibers. A comprehensive study on the influence of the fiber structural parameters on the supercontinuum outcome indicates how to tailor these parameters for specific application where particular spectral characteristics are desired.