Sb₂Te₃ topological insulator for 52 nm wideband tunable Yb-doped passively Q-switched fiber laser

Abstract

Topological insulator Sb₂Te₃ has the advantage of broadband saturable absorption from the visible to the infrared bands. Herein, the two-dimensional material Sb₂Te₃ saturable absorber (SA) of the topological insulator family was first applied experimentally in a wideband tunable passively Q-switched Yb-doped fiber laser. High-quality Sb₂Te₃ crystals were synthesized by the flux zone method. The Sb₂Te₃ SA with fewer layers was further prepared via a modified mechanical exfoliation procedure. Meanwhile, stable wavelength-tunable passive Q-switching pulse operation was obtained in a Yb-doped fiber ring cavity based on the Sb₂Te₃ SA, where the central wavelength can be continuously tuned from 1040.89 to 1092.85 nm. Results suggest that Sb₂Te₃ has wideband saturable absorption properties, and that the tunable pulse laser can provide a convenient and simple source for practical applications.

Keywords

Topological insulator / Sb₂Te₃ / Fiber laser / Passive Q-switching laser / Wavelength-tunable laser

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

2021 Zhejiang University Press