Low-noise supercontinuum sources based on all-normal dispersion fibers: exploring their prospects and limitations

Supercontinuum (SC) sources based on optical fibers exhibiting flat and normal group velocity dispersion (GVD) in the entire wavelength region of interest, so-called all-normal dispersion (ANDi) fibers, have become a well-accepted alternative to the more conventional approach of pumping fibers in the anomalous GVD region. The conservation of a single ultrashort pulse and the suppression of noise-amplifying nonlinear effects during SC generation make ANDi fibers particularly attractive for ultrafast and noise-sensitive applications. Here we discuss current possibilities and future prospects, but also the limitations of ANDi fiber SC sources, focusing particularly on coherence and noise performance for various pump pulse regimes.