A Q-switched fiber laser using a Ti2AlN-based saturable absorber

We experimentally demonstrate the fabrication of a polarization-insensitive Ti2AlN-based, fiberized saturable absorber (SA) for Q-switching of a fiber laser. The fabrication procedure for the SA is as follows. A mixture of Ti2AlN/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) composite solution was deposited onto a slide glass and spread evenly. After the spread Ti2AlN/PVA composite dried, the formed film was stripped off the slide glass and transferred onto the flat end of a fiber connection/angled physical contact fiber ferrule. The modulation depth and saturation intensity of the resulting SA were measured to be similar to 3.2% and similar to 3.4 MW cm(-2), respectively. The sandwich-structured SA was successfully used to generate Q-switched pulses from an erbium-doped-fiber ring cavity. The temporal width of the Q-switched pulses with a repetition rate of 41.55 kHz was similar to 2.52 mu s at a wavelength similar to 1557 nm.

Automated summary

In this experiment, a polarization-insensitive Ti2AlN-based fiberized saturable absorber was fabricated for Q-switching of a fiber laser. The resulting SA showed a modulation depth of around 3.2% and a saturation intensity of approximately 3.4 MW cm(-2). It was successfully used to generate Q-switched pulses in an erbium-doped fiber ring cavity, with a temporal width of approximately 2.52 μs at a wavelength of around 1557 nm and a repetition rate of 41.55 kHz.