A system for supercontinuum generation, the system including: an optical source for providing a light signal comprising light pulses; and a waveguide structure for receiving the light signal from the optical source, the waveguide structure having alternating waveguide segments of ND waveguide segments and AD waveguide segments along a length of the waveguide structure, the ND waveguide segments being configured to impart normal dispersion on the light signal and the AD waveguide segments being configured to impart anomalous dispersion on the light signal; wherein the waveguide structure is CHARACTERIZED BY one of: spectral generation of optical pulses traversing the structure being effected in the ND waveguide segments and spectral bandwidth increase in the AD waveguide segments being less than or equal to 10% relative to spectral bandwidth increase in the preceding ND waveguide segment; or spectral generation of optical pulses traversing the structure being effected in the AD waveguide segments and spectral bandwidth increase in the ND waveguide segments being less than or equal to 10% relative to spectral bandwidth increase in the preceding AD waveguide segment; or supercontinuum spectral generation of optical pulses traversing the structure being effected in both AD and ND waveguide segments, wherein the pulses are temporally compressed in one of the waveguide segment types and temporally expanded in the other one of the waveguide segment types and spectral clamping is absent in both waveguide segment types and where spectral bandwidth increase in neighboring AD and ND waveguide segments are both more than 10%; or the spectral bandwidth of optical pulses traversing the waveguide structure are increased and the spectral bandwidth increase in both AD and ND waveguide segments is more than 10% relative to the spectral bandwidth increase in the preceding waveguide segment. an optical source for providing a light signal comprising light pulses; and a waveguide structure for receiving the light signal from the optical source, the waveguide structure having alternating waveguide segments of ND waveguide segments and AD waveguide segments along a length of the waveguide structure, the ND waveguide segments being configured to impart normal dispersion on the light signal and the AD waveguide segments being configured to impart anomalous dispersion on the light signal; wherein the waveguide structure is CHARACTERIZED BY one of: spectral generation of optical pulses traversing the structure being effected in the ND waveguide segments and spectral bandwidth increase in the AD waveguide segments being less than or equal to 10% relative to spectral bandwidth increase in the preceding ND waveguide segment; or spectral generation of optical pulses traversing the structure being effected in the AD waveguide segments and spectral bandwidth increase in the ND waveguide segments being less than or equal to 10% relative to spectral bandwidth increase in the preceding AD waveguide segment; or supercontinuum spectral generation of optical pulses traversing the structure being effected in both AD and ND waveguide segments, wherein the pulses are temporally compressed in one of the waveguide segment types and temporally expanded in the other one of the waveguide segment types and spectral clamping is absent in both waveguide segment types and where spectral bandwidth increase in neighboring AD and ND waveguide segments are both more than 10%; or the spectral bandwidth of optical pulses traversing the waveguide structure are increased and the spectral bandwidth increase in both AD and ND waveguide segments is more than 10% relative to the spectral bandwidth increase in the preceding waveguide segment. spectral generation of optical pulses traversing the structure being effected in the ND waveguide segments and spectral bandwidth increase in the AD waveguide segments being less than or equal to 10% relative to spectral bandwidth increase in the preceding ND waveguide segment; or spectral generation of optical pulses traversing the structure being effected in the AD waveguide segments and spectral bandwidth increase in the ND waveguide segments being less than or equal to 10% relative to spectral bandwidth increase in the preceding AD waveguide segment; or supercontinuum spectral generation of optical pulses traversing the structure being effected in both AD and ND waveguide segments, wherein the pulses are temporally compressed in one of the waveguide segment types and temporally expanded in the other one of the waveguide segment types and spectral clamping is absent in both waveguide segment types and where spectral bandwidth increase in neighboring AD and ND waveguide segments are both more than 10%; or the spectral bandwidth of optical pulses traversing the waveguide structure are increased and the spectral bandwidth increase in both AD and ND waveguide segments is more than 10% relative to the spectral bandwidth increase in the preceding waveguide segment.