Monolithic waveguide laser mode-locked by embedded Ag nanoparticles operating at 1 μm

Advanced Optical Materials

et al. 2020

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The zero‐dimensional metallic nanoparticles (NPs) have attracted tremendous attention in various areas owing to the collective oscillation of electron gas that couples with electromagnetic field, known as localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR). In practical applications, the tailoring of LSPR effect is of significant importance for promising photonic devices with designed nanocomposite systems and enhanced optical properties. Ion beam technology has been demonstrated to be an efficient method to fabricate NPs embedded in dielectrics for LSPR tailoring and material modification. By manipulating the parameters of ion beams, the shape, size, and structure of NPs can be well controlled, which enables the dielectrics to possess novel linear and nonlinear optical properties. In this review, the latest research progress on the ion beam synthesis of various NPs is systematically summarized. The tailoring of linear and nonlinear optical properties of dielectrics by NPs is discussed in detail. Selected applications are presented to indicate the development of the plasmonic NPs in dielectric systems for photonic applications.

Section: Selected Photonic Applicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Selected Photonic Applicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Plasmonic Nanoparticles in Dielectrics Synthesized by Ion Beams: Optical Properties and Photonic Applications

Advanced Optical Materials

et al. 2020

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“…The main challenge of SiO 2 glass as SAs is the low third‐order optical nonlinearity, which requires significant enhancement and further modulation to achieve adequate NLO response. Recently, noble metallic NPs have attracted renewed interest in the field of ultrafast pulse generation . Owing to the fascinating localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect, plasmonic NPs have showed exceptional abilities to modulate the NLO response of dielectric optical materials .…”

Section: Information About Sample Preparationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fused Silica with Embedded 2D‐Like Ag Nanoparticle Monolayer: Tunable Saturable Absorbers by Interparticle Spacing Manipulation

Laser & Photonics Reviews

et al. 2020

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Saturable absorbers are key elements for generation of ultrafast laser pulses. The commercially available semiconductor saturable absorber mirrors are wavelength sensitive and with complex fabrication process and high cost. Fused silica is one of the basic materials for various optical applications. Plasmonic nanoparticles can be used to efficiently modulate the optical properties of dielectric materials owing to the enhanced field effects based on localized surface plasmonic resonance. Ion implantation is a direct technique to synthesize plasmonic nanoparticles inside dielectric materials, which can simultaneously tailor the optical nonlinearity of substrates significantly. In this work, Ag ion implantation into fused silica with tunable interparticle spacing is used to generate broadband optical nonlinearities and to endow silica with ultrafast saturable absorption property. This ion implantation forms a 2D‐like Ag nanoparticle monolayer buried inside fused silica wafer. The fused silica with embedded 2D‐like Ag nanoparticle monolayer is further applied as a new saturable absorber to generate ultrafast laser pulses with pulse duration of 27 ps and repetition rate of 6.5 GHz through the passive mode‐locking process. This work opens up a new route to develop low‐cost, highly stable saturable absorbers, and offers the possibility to build novel silica‐based photonic systems through nanoparticle spacing manipulation.

“…As shown in figure 3, the embedded plasmonic nanoparticles could enable the highly integrated design of pulsed waveguide laser sources. Through the evanescent-field interaction modulation, QML waveguide laser operating at 1 µm is obtained with 10.53 GHz repetition rate and 29.5 ps pulse width [89]. Another intriguing example is that the giant enhancement of optical nonlinearity can be achieved in fused silica by tuning the interparticle spacing of embedded nanoparticle array.…”

Section: Mode-locked Waveguide Lasersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Low-dimensional materials as saturable absorbers for pulsed waveguide lasers

et al. 2020

J. Phys. Photonics

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Low-dimensional (LD) materials, such as 2D materials, carbon nanotubes, and nanoparticles, have attracted increasing attention for light modulation in photonics and optoelectronics. The high nonlinearity, broad bandwidth, and fast response enabled by LD materials are critical to realize desired functionalities in highly integrated photonic systems. Driven by the growing demand for compact laser sources, LD materials have recently demonstrated their great capacity as saturable absorbers in pulsed (Q-switched or mode-locked) laser generation in waveguide platforms. We review the recent advances of pulsed waveguide lasers based on LD materials. A perspective is also presented in this rapidly growing research field. Fundamentals of LD saturable absorbers and optical waveguidesOwing to the diverse electronic structures, LD materials offer versatile options to realize wide applications based on the nonlinear optical response. Currently, semiconductor saturable absorber mirrors (SESAMs) are the most frequently used commercial SAs, processing high damage threshold and prominent stability. However, a variety of LD materials retain a number of advantages to be nonlinear SAs, of which SESAMs © 2020 The Author(s). Published by IOP Publishing Ltd J. Phys. Photonics 2 (2020) 031001 Z Li et al cannot fulfill, such as broadband operation, ultrafast recovery time, low cost, and better compatibility with compact devices such as fibers and waveguides. Recently, an increasing number of research efforts have been made to unfold the nonlinear optical properties as well as its corresponding applications of the emerging LD materials [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]. For semiconducting or semimetallic LD materials, the main mechanism for nonlinear saturable absorption is Pauli blocking. After photoexcitation, non-equilibrium carrier state could be created, in which valence-band electrons can be excited to the conduction band, and a hole can be formed on the valence band. As the increase of the incident light intensity, the photon absorption processes of LD materials experience a transition from linear absorption to saturable absorption. When the light intensity continues increasing and reaches the saturation intensity, the extra photons will no longer be absorbed by the electrons in the valence band, and the transmittance of the SA will not increase but gradually tend to a stable value. For metallic nanoparticles, the dominant mechanism is the LSPR effect arising from the interaction between the electric field of incident light and the surface electrons in the conduction band. The optical nonlinearity could be significantly enhanced while maintaining the ultrafast recovery time. These nonlinear effects are widely used in passively Q-switched or mode-locked lasers. In order to characterize the nonlinear optical properties, femtosecond Z-scan spectroscopy is typically employed by moving the sample along the Z direction through a focused Gaussian beam. The laser intensity can be varied continuously with the maximum at the focal poin...