Method and apparatus for providing broadband light source

A radiation source for generating broadband radiation, and comprising: a pump source comprising only one single fiber amplifier, the pump source configured to radiate, the pump radiation comprising a plurality of radiation pulses having a pulse energy of 2.5 [mu] J or less; and a hollow core fiber comprising a hollow core region and a cladding surrounding the hollow core region, the hollow core region having a pressurized gas therein, and the hollow core fiber being arranged to receive the pump radiation at the input end wherein the hollow core region is dimensioned such that the radiation pulse has a soliton order higher than 16, the hollow core fiber is coupled to the pump radiation so as to use modulation instability to broaden the spectrum of the pump radiation as it propagates along the hollow core fiber for providing output broadband radiation from the output of the hollow core fiber. 一种辐射源，用于生成宽带辐射，并且包括：泵浦源，该泵浦源仅包括一个单光纤放大器，该泵浦源被配置辐射，泵浦辐射包括具有2.5μJ或小于2.5μJ的脉冲能量的多个辐射脉冲；以及中空纤芯光纤，包括中空纤芯区域和围绕中空纤芯区域的包层，中空纤芯区域