Patent ID: 7800818

Claim:
A blue extended super continuum light source arranged to provide a generated spectrum having an intensity I(λ) as a function of wavelength λ and having a blue part relative to a pump wavelength λ pump substantially extending from a low wavelength border shifted relative to said pump wavelength λ pump by λ 1 , to a high wavelength border, shifted relative to said pump wavelength λ pump by λ 2 , wherein the low wavelength border λ pump −λ 1 is less than λ pump /2, said light source comprising: a) a micro structured optical fiber configured to transmit radiation at λ pump said fiber having at least one wavelength region of anomalous dispersion comprising both λ pump and an infra red absorption band edge stabilization point, and said fiber having a dispersion parameter β(λ) and a non-linear parameter γ arranged so that light at said low wavelength border λ pump −λ 1 phase match with the infra red absorption band edge stabilization point and said fiber having a group velocity at said high wavelength border smaller than or equal to a group velocity at said pump wavelength b) a pump laser which provides pump pulses of a wavelength λ pump of a duration, full width half maximum, T FWHM ≧1 ps and a peak power P Peak at a repetition rate higher than 1 kHz, wherein the generation of said generated spectrum is a response to said pump pulses of wavelength λ pump and a part of each of said pump pulses in said fiber breaks into a train of pulses, the generated spectrum extends to the infra red absorption band edge stabilization point, and I(λ)>−5 dBm/nm for λ pump −λ 1 <λ<λ pump −λ 2 where λ 1 −λ 2 is larger than 500 nm.