Q-Switched Mode-Locked Nd:YVO4 Laser by Topological Insulator Bi2Te3 Saturable Absorber

By using a reflection type of topological insulator Bi2Te3 as saturable absorber that was prepared by a hydrothermal intercalation/exfoliation method, we have demonstrated the stable Q-switched mode-locked operation of Nd:YVO4 solid-state laser. Its maximum output power can reach up to 247 mW with respect to the absorbed pump power of 6.39 W. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report for passively Q-switched mode-locking Nd:YVO4 solid-state laser at 1-mu m wavelength using a topological insulator Bi2Te3 as saturable absorber. In the experiment, we have also observed the stable Q-switched operation with pulse width as short as 2 mu s, output power 183 mW, and repetition rate up to 151.5 kHz.