Visibly “white” light generation in uniform photonic crystal fiber using a microchip laser

We report on visibly white supercontinuum generation in photonic crystal fibers using a sub ns pump source at 1064 nm. The spectra extend from below 400 nm to 2450 nm, some 50 nm further into the blue than previously reported spectra. The extra bandwidth which is achieved by a simple modification to the fiber structure gives a higher apparent color temperature and a truly "white" visual appearance. The mechanism for the generation of the deeper blue to ultraviolet frequencies is outlined and our modified fiber is compared with fibers which have been conventionally used for supercontinuum generation.