Open AccessMode-locked Er-doped fiber laser based on PbS/CdS core/shell quantum dots as saturable absorber
Author(s) -
Na Ming,
Tao Shen,
Wenqing Yang,
QingYun Chen,
Ruyi Sun,
Chang Wang,
Shuyun Wang,
Baoyuan Man,
Huanian Zhang
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.26.009017
Subject(s) - saturable absorption , materials science , quantum dot , fiber laser , optoelectronics , laser , mode locking , core (optical fiber) , doping , optics , absorption (acoustics) , wavelength , composite material , physics
Previously, PbS/CdS core/shell quantum dots with excellent optical properties have been widely used as light-harvesting materials in solar cell and biomarkers in bio-medicine. However, the nonlinear absorption characteristics of PbS/CdS core/shell quantum dots have been rarely investigated. In this work, PbS/CdS core/shell quantum dots were successfully employed as nonlinear saturable absorber (SA) for demonstrating a mode-locked Er-doped fiber laser. Based on a film-type SA, which was prepared by incorporating the quantum dots with the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), mode-locked Er-doped operation with a pulse width of 54 ps and a maximum average output power of 2.71 mW at the repetition rate of 3.302 MHz was obtained. Our long-time stable results indicate that the CdS shell can effectively protect the PbS core from the effect of photo-oxidation and PbS/CdS core/shell quantum dots were efficient SA candidates for demonstrating pulse fiber lasers due to its tunable absorption peak and excellent saturable absorption properties.