Broadband 1T-titanium selenide-based saturable absorbers for solid-state bulk lasers

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Optoelectronics
• Laser Physics

Background:

• 1T-titanium selenide (1T-TiSe2) is a transition metal dichalcogenide with semimetallic properties.
• Its near-zero bandgap makes it a candidate for photoelectric applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate a high-quality 1T-TiSe2 saturable absorber (SA).
• To investigate the nonlinear saturable absorption properties of 1T-TiSe2.
• To demonstrate the application of 1T-TiSe2 SA in passively Q-switched (PQS) all-solid-state lasers.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of multilayer 1T-TiSe2 SA using liquid phase exfoliation and spin coating.
• Characterization of nonlinear saturable absorption using open aperture (OA) Z-scan.
• Integration of 1T-TiSe2 SA into all-solid-state bulk lasers operating at various wavelengths (1.0, 1.3, 2.0, 2.8 μm).

Main Results:

• Successful fabrication of a high-quality 1T-TiSe2 SA.
• Demonstration of broadband nonlinear saturable absorption properties.
• Realization of PQS all-solid-state lasers at multiple wavelengths using the 1T-TiSe2 SA.
• First-time application of 1T-TiSe2 in all-solid-state bulk lasers.

Conclusions:

• 1T-TiSe2 is a promising broadband SA material for solid-state pulsed lasers.
• 1T-TiSe2 exhibits potential for applications in mode-locked ultrafast lasers.
• This study highlights 1T-TiSe2 as a viable alternative for laser applications.