Mid-infrared strong spectral broadening in microstructured tapered chalcogenide AsSe fiber

We report on the generation of a supercontinuum in a chalcogenide microstructured tapered fiber. The suspended core diameter of the fiber is reduced from 5.5 mu m to 0.8 mu m in the waist of the tapered region. The zero dispersion wavelength is below 2 mu m in the tapered region. To pump the fiber, we use a mode-locked laser of 4 ps, with a central wavelength of 1960 nm. With only 150 W peak power in the fiber a supercontinuum is generated from 1300 to 2600 nm taking the supercontinuum wavelength edge at -30 dB from the continuum.