Quasi-2D Mn₃Si₂Te₆ Nanosheet for Ultrafast Photonics

The magnetic nanomaterial Mn₃Si₂Te₆ is a promising option for spin-dependent electronic and magneto-optoelectronic devices. However, its application in nonlinear optics remains fanciful. Here, we demonstrate a pulsed Er-doped fiber laser (EDFL) based on a novel quasi-2D Mn₃Si₂Te₆ saturable absorber (SA) with low pump power at 1.5 μm. The high-quality Mn₃Si₂Te₆ crystals were synthesized by the self-flux method, and the ultrathin Mn₃Si₂Te₆ nanoflakes were prepared by a simple mechanical exfoliation procedure. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time laser pulses have been generated using quasi-2D Mn₃Si₂Te₆. A stable pulsed laser at 1562 nm with a low threshold pump power of 60 mW was produced by integrating the Mn₃Si₂Te₆ SA into an EDFL cavity. The maximum power of the output pulse is 783 μW. The repetition rate can vary from 24.16 to 44.44 kHz, with corresponding pulse durations of 5.64 to 3.41 µs. Our results indicate that the quasi-2D Mn₃Si₂Te₆ is a promising material for application in ultrafast photonics.