Passively Q-switched Yb-doped all-fiber laser based on Ag nanoplates as saturable absorber

Abstract

We report on a Q-switched Yb-doped all-fiber laser based on a solution-processed Ag nanoplates saturable absorber. Optical deposition procedure is implemented to transfer the Ag nanoplates onto the fiber core area through the thermal effect. The saturable absorber is sandwiched between two fiber connectors, providing simplicity, flexibility, and easy integration into the laser oscillator. The modulation depth and saturation incident fluence are measured to be ~5.8% and ~106.36 μJ/cm2 at 1-μm region, respectively. Self-started stable Q-switched operation is achieved for a threshold pump power of 180 mW. The repetition rates of the pulse trains range from 66.6 to 184.8 kHz when the pump power scales from 210 to 600 mW. The maximum average output power is 10.77 mW, corresponding to the single-pulse energy of 58.3 nJ and minimum pulse duration of ~1.01 μs. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first time that the Ag nanoplates saturable absorbers are utilized in the 1-μm Yb-doped Q-switched fiber laser.

Passively Q-switched Yb-doped fiber laser based on Ag nanoplates saturable absorber

“…The saturable absorber is sandwiched between two fiber connectors, providing simplicity, flexibility and easy integration into the laser oscillator. The modulation depth and saturation incident fluence are measured to be ∼5.8% and ∼106.36 μJ/cm 2 at 1-μm region, respectively [1].…”

Recent Progress on Metal‐Based Nanomaterials: Fabrications, Optical Properties, and Applications in Ultrafast Photonics

“…[131] Such NPT structures, with a broad absorption band from 900 to above 1300 nm, have been used in Q-switched and mode-locked lasers operating in 1 μm. [100,101] Shaped metal-based nanoparticles can also be made using hydrothermal or solvothermal methods. A solvothermal method Materials: gold nanoparticles (GNPs), nanorods (NRs), nanowires (NWs), nanobipyramids (NBPs), silver NPs (SNPs), nanoplates (NPTs), copper (Cu), ferroferric oxide nanoparticles (FONPs), ferric oxide (Fe 2 O 3 ), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), titanium (Ti), vanadium (V), Indium (I), tin (T); b) Absorption: Near-infrared region (NIR).…”

“…[196] Besides, Fu et al demonstrated a self-started Q-switched pulse in Yb-doped all-fiber laser, in which a stable and low-cost laser was achieved by using solution-processed SNPTs as SA. [100] Figure 9a shows the scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) image of SNPTs deposited on Si substrate. Figure 9b-d exhibits that the 2.59-μs Q-switched pulse has an SNR of 30 dB at the wavelength of 1033.3 nm.…”

Surface Plasmon Resonance Dependent Third-Order Optical Nonlinearities of Silver Nanoplates

“…Recently, the attention has also focused on optoelectronic and photonic applications, due to their excellent third-order nonlinear optical (NLO) properties, in terms of a large third-order nonlinear susceptibility, an ultrafast relaxation time, the suitable modulation depth, and the saturation intensity of the noble metal NPs. Their plasmonic-driven NLO properties make them excellent saturable absorbers, which are the key elements of passively Q-switched or mode-locked pulsed lasers [6][7][8][9][10].…”

“…However, no systematic investigation has been made on materials according to their size and shape, with SPR spanning a wide spectral range in the visible and NIR. In previous works [8,9], we demonstrated the generation of dualwavelength Q-switched and mode-locked pulses in Yb-doped all-fiber lasers at 1 µm by using Ag nanoplates (NPTs)-based SA, for achieving stable and low-cost pulsed lasers that could be used for spectroscopy and ultrafast photonics. Here, taking these results into account, we have broadened the study of the nonlinear response of Ag NPTs, investigating materials having an SPR that spans across the visible range and beyond.…”