Highly stable femtosecond pulse generation from a MXene Ti3C2Tx (T = F, O, or OH) mode-locked fiber laser

Ultrafast fiber lasers are in great demand for various applications, such as optical communication, spectroscopy, biomedical diagnosis, and industrial fabrication. Here, we report the highly stable femtosecond pulse generation from a MXene mode-locked fiber laser. We have prepared the high-quality Ti3C2Tx nanosheets via the etching method, and characterized their ultrafast dynamics and broadband nonlinear optical responses. The obvious intensity- and wavelength-dependent nonlinear responses have been observed and investigated. In addition, a highly stable femtosecond fiber laser with signal-to-noise ratio up to 70.7 dB and central wavelength of 1567.3 nm has been delivered. The study may provide some valuable design guidelines for the development of ultrafast, broadband nonlinear optical modulators, and open new avenues toward advanced photonic devices based on MXenes. (C) 2019 Chinese Laser Press