Dual-wavelength, passively Q-switched Tm:YAP laser with black phosphorus saturable absorber

Abstract

A compact saturable absorber mirror (SAM), based on multilayered black phosphorus (BP) nanoplatelets, was fabricated and successfully used as an efficient saturable absorber (SA) in a passively Qswitched Tm:YAP laser at 1.9 μm. With the BP SAM, Q-switched pulses with a duration of 181 ns and an average output power of 3.1 W were generated at a pulse repetition rate of 81 kHz. This resulted in a pulse energy of 39.5 μJ which, to the best of our knowledge, is the record among the reports on BP SA-based Q-switched lasers. In addition, the simultaneous dual-wavelength Q-switched operation at both 1969 and 1979 nm has been observed. The results indicate the promising potential of multilayered BP nanoplatelets as SAs for achieving efficient pulsed lasers at around 2 μm.

High-power passively Q-switched 2 μm all-solid-state laser based on a Bi_2Te_3 saturable absorber

“…[15,16]. Furthermore, compared with other 2D material-based SA, including graphene, WS 2 , MoS 2 , and black phosphorus (BP), the single-pulse energy we obtained here is only smaller to that generated by BP SA at 2 μm wavelength [28][29][30][31]. But the insurmountable disadvantage of easy oxidation of BP limits the application of BP-based SA.…”

Recent Progress in 2D Material‐Based Saturable Absorbers for All Solid‐State Pulsed Bulk Lasers

“…However, with the development of the fabrication method, one can introduce defects in the 2D materials to tune the operation band, as well as prepare heterostructures with different materials. For passively Q‐switched MIR ASSPLs, the shortest pulse width for 2.0, 2.4, 2.9 µm laser operation are 181 ns (with BP SA), 157 ns (with graphene SA), and 160.5 ns (with 1T‐TiSe 2 SA) . For CW mode‐locking operation, the shortest pulse width for 2.0 and 2.4 µm laser operation are 354 fs (with graphene SA) and 41 fs (with graphene SA) …”

“…For the passively Q‐switched laser, the shortest pulse width obtained with a graphene SA was 2.05 µs with an output power of 38 mW . With TMD SAs, the shortest pulse width of 220 ns was achieved with MoS 2 in a passively Q‐switched Tm:KLuW laser, while it was 181 ns with a BP SA . In 2017, Yang's group reported the only demonstration of Bi 2 Te 3 ‐SA passively Q‐switched 2.0 µm all solid‐state bulk lasers, which generated a pulse width of 620 ns and an output power of 2.03 W ( Figure b) .…”

The energy band structure analysis and 2 μm Q-switched laser application of layered rhenium diselenide

“…The BP Qswitched 2 mm laser in ref. 33 had higher peak power, pulse energy and shorter pulse width. However, the shortcoming of instability in air limited the application of BP in generating long-time stable pulsed laser.…”