Tailored supercontinuum generation using genetic algorithmoptimized Fourier domain pulse shaping

We report the generation of spectrally-tailored supercontinuum using Fourier-domain pulse shaping of femtosecond pulses injected into a highly nonlinear fiber controlled by a genetic algorithm. User-selectable spectral enhancement is demonstrated over the 1550-2000~nm wavelength range, with the ability to both select a target central wavelength and a target bandwidth in the range 1–5~nm. The spectral enhancement factor relative to unshaped input pulses is typically $\sim$5–20 in the range 1550–1800~nm and increases for longer wavelengths, exceeding a factor of 160 around 2000~nm. We also demonstrate results where the genetic algorithm is applied to the enhancement of up to four wavelengths simultaneously.