AgInSe2 Nanorods: A semiconducting material for saturable absorber

TL;DR

This study investigates AgInSe2 nanorods' nonlinear optical properties, demonstrating their potential as saturable absorbers for ultrafast photonic applications due to their significant saturable absorption and Kerr nonlinearity.

Contribution

The paper reports the nonlinear optical responses of AgInSe2 nanorods, highlighting their suitability for saturable absorption devices, which is a novel application for this material.

Findings

Large saturable absorption observed at high irradiance

Fast recovery time of a few ten picoseconds

High third-order susceptibility of 1.2 x 10^-8 esu

Abstract

AgInSe2 nanorods (NRs) with diameter of 15 nm have been investigated for their nonlinear optical responses by using Z-scan and transient absorption techniques with femtosecond laser pulses of photon energy greater than the bandgap. At excitation irradiance of 20 GW/cm2, AgInSe2 NRs reveal saturation in the nonlinear absorption and optical Kerr nonlinearity with a recovery time determined to be a few ten picoseconds. Such large saturable absorption and Kerr nonlinearity exhibit a third-order susceptibility of 1.2 x 10-8 esu and a figure of merit of 0.04 esu.cm.s-1, making AgInSe2 NRs a promising candidate for saturable absorption devices.