High performance of a passively Q-switched mid-infrared laser with Bi₂Te₃/graphene composite SA

We report passively Q-switched ∼2 and ∼3  μm mid-infrared (MIR) solid-state lasers with a self-assembly solvothermal-synthesized Bi₂Te₃/graphene heterostructure saturable absorber (SA) for the first time. Based on the oxidation resistance and high thermal conductivity of graphene, and large modulation depth of Bi₂Te₃ nanosheets, two high-performance Q-switching lasers were realized. One is a Tm:YAP laser with a maximum average output power of 2.34 W and a pulse width of 238 ns at ∼2  μm. The corresponding maximum pulse peak power was 91 W, which was much improved in comparison with the pure graphene-based Tm laser. The other one is an Er:YSGG laser producing a pulse width of 243 ns, which is the shortest among the 2D SAs-based ∼3  μm solid-state lasers, as far as we know. Our results indicate that such a composite Bi₂Te₃/graphene material is a promising SA for generating high-performance mid-infrared pulse lasers.