Low noise wavelength conversion of femtosecond pulses with dispersion micro-managed holey fibers.

We experimentally compared three methods of continuum generation that can provide wavelength conversion through anti-Stokes radiation (ASR). The three methods are: dispersion micro-managed (DMM) holey fiber, tapered fiber and long holey fiber with constant core diameter. We investigated the spectral shape and the amplitude fluctuations due to the broadband noise that is amplified during the nonlinear conversion process. The results show that the DMM method can shift wavelengths with up to 20 dB lower broadband noise compared with the other methods, at the same time with controllable wavelength shift and bandwidth, and without spectral substructure.