Nonlinear optical property and application of yttrium oxide in erbium-doped fiber lasers

Yttrium oxide (Y2O3) has garnered some attention in view of its potential to be integrated into a wide range of high-strength structural components, microelectronic and optoelectronic devices. However, the nonlinear optical research of this promising material has not been implemented yet. In this paper, not only the electronic band structures of Y2O3 are theoretically calculated but also the optical nonlinearity of Y2O3 is validated by using the fiber laser as a platform. Meanwhile, the influence of sample thickness on laser performance is further explored by using Y2O3 saturable absorbers with different thickness. Results indicate that Y2O3 not only has impressive optical nonlinearity but also is beneficial to the investigation of ultrafast photons by adjusting the thickness of Y2O3. Therefore, Y2O3 can be used as a potential saturable absorber candidate for in-depth research and application. (C) 2021 Optical Society of America under the terms of the OSA Open Access Publishing Agreement

Automated summary

This study investigates the electronic band structure and optical nonlinearity of Y2O3, demonstrating its impressive nonlinear optical performance and the ability to control ultrafast photons by adjusting thickness. Y2O3 shows potential as a saturable absorber candidate for further research and application.