Q-Switched YDFL generation by a MAX phase saturable absorber
Ahmad Razif Muhammad, A.A.A. Jafry, Arni Munira Markom, Ahmad Haziq Aiman Rosol, S. W. Harun, P.P. Yupapin
Abstract
A stable <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mml:mi>Q</mml:mi></mml:math> -switching pulse train in a ytterbium-doped fiber laser (YDFL) cavity was generated using MAX-polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) thin film, which is composed of layered ternary metal carbide ( <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mml:mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"><mml:msub><mml:mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"><mml:mi mathvariant="normal">T</mml:mi><mml:mi mathvariant="normal">i</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mn>3</mml:mn></mml:msub></mml:mrow><mml:mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"><mml:msub><mml:mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"><mml:mi mathvariant="normal">A</mml:mi><mml:mi mathvariant="normal">l</mml:mi><mml:mi mathvariant="normal">C</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mn>2</mml:mn></mml:msub></mml:mrow></mml:math> ) as a passive saturable absorber (SA) and incorporates it in the laser cavity. MAX-PVA SA was fabricated using a solution-casting method. A self-started pulse train with a maximum repetition rate of 92 kHz and a decreasing pulse width (from 3.5 to 1.92 µs) with increasing pump power (from 214 to 260 mW) was produced. The laser’s stability was notable, with a high signal-to-noise ratio of 52 dB obtained at the highest repetition rate of 92 kHz. This finding suggests that MAX-SA could be used as an alternative to other SAs in <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mml:mi>Q</mml:mi></mml:math> -switched fiber lasers.