  A novel method for efficient generation of high power, equalized
continuous-wave supercontinuum source in an all conventional silica fiber
architecture is demonstrated. Highly nonlinear fiber (HNLF) is pumped in its
anomalous dispersion region using a novel, high power, L-band laser. The L-band
laser encompasses a 6th order cascaded Raman amplifier which is pumped with a
high power Ytterbium doped fiber laser and amplifies a low-power, tunable
L-band seed source. The supercontinuum generated 35W of power with ~40%
efficiency. The Supercontinuum spectrum was measured to have a high degree of
flatness of better than 5 dB over 400 nm of bandwidth (1.3 - 1.7 micron,
limited by spectrum analyzer range) and a power spectral density in this region
of >50 mW/nm. The extent of the SC spectrum is estimated to be upto 2 micron
