Dispersive wave generation in single higher-order modes of a large-core silica step-index fiber with pulse energies up to 12 nJ.

The generation of light in a laser system is constrained by the gain medium, limiting the available wavelengths. We demonstrate in-fiber generation of ultrafast pulses between ∼550 and 800 nm via dispersive wave generation (DWG), in higher-order modes (HOMs). Using higher-order modes enables power scaling, due to their large effective area compared to the fundamental modes of single-mode fibers and dispersion engineering, even in simple step-index fibers. The process occurs in a single higher-order mode, which we excite using passive glass components (an axicon and two telescopes). The output pulses have energies up to 12 nJ at the biologically relevant wavelength of 705 nm.