Mid-infrared Er:CaF2-SrF2 bulk laser Q-switched by MXene Ti3C2Tx absorber

We report a diode-pumped passively Q-switched Er:CaF2-SrF2 laser at 2.73 mu m with MXene Ti3C2Tx as a saturable absorber (SA). A maximum average output power of the pulsed laser was measured at 286 mW, with a shortest duration of 814 ns and a repetition rate of 45.3 kHz. The corresponding single-pulse energy and peak power were calculated to be 6.32 mu J and 7.76 W, respectively. The results suggest the promising potential of MXene as an efficient SA for short pulse lasers in the mid-infrared spectral band. (C) 2019 The Japan Society of Applied Physics.