Santec Intros Supercontinuum Light Source

KOMAKI, Japan -- Santec, a leading manufacturer of optical components and test instruments for the optical fiber industry, today announces the release of a broadband light source, the UWS-1000. This light source emits what is known as Supercontinuum light and has an ultra-wide output spectrum from 1200nm to 2000nm. The output has similar properties to laser light and can easily be focused, has a uniform spectral output, and, compared to conventional broadband sources, has a high optical power density. The power density is greater than -30dBm/nm.

The UWS-1000 uses three key technologies. Firstly, a new type of pulsed laser called a quasi-mode synchronous fiber-laser which provides stable, short optical pulses even at high output powers. Secondly, a technology that generates an ultra-broad spectrum by passing an optical pulse through a special nonlinear fiber. Thirdly, a specially developed 'balanced filter' feedback loop which is used to continuously monitor the output and ensure long-term stability (<+/-0.1dB) of the light emission. The UWS-1000 is particularly suitable for applications such as fiber optic component characterization, optical coherence tomography (OCT), spectroscopy, interferometry and remote sensing.

Santec Corp.