The science and technology of supercontinuum source development (Conference Presentation)

As the supercontinuum source reaches its fiftieth anniversary, in this short presentation I will highlight some of the steps in its development, from Alfano’s and Shapiro’s discovery and application of this phenomena using high energy, table-top, pulsed solid state lasers to the compact, all-fibre integrated configurations which have had a marked commercial impact. The principal scientific processes as well as some of the vital technological advances will be outlined which have led to extensive spectral versatility and allows the temporal format of the excitation pumps to range from the continuous wave to the femtosecond regimes.