# NiTe2-Based Saturable Absorber for a Passively Q-Switched Ytterbium-Doped Fiber Laser

## TL;DR

A new material, NiTe2, is used to create a high-performance laser with stable, ultrafast pulses.

## Contribution

NiTe2 is introduced as a novel saturable absorber material for passively Q-switched ytterbium-doped fiber lasers.

## Key findings

- NiTe2 achieved a modulation depth of 6.82% and saturation intensity of 2.12 MW/cm² at 1 µm.
- Stable Q-switched pulses with a central wavelength of 1031 nm and a maximum repetition frequency of 30.1 kHz were demonstrated.
- The laser produced pulses as short as 2.3 µs with a single-pulse energy of 3.05 nJ and an RF SNR of 58.9 dB.

## Abstract

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are key materials in ultrafast photonics. However, the performance of conventional TMDs is limited by their bandwidth and carrier recovery time. The novel Dirac semimetal nickel ditelluride (NiTe2), with its broad-band response and excellent nonlinear properties, emerges as an ideal candidate for saturable absorber (SA) materials. In this work, we report, for the first time, the application of NiTe2 in the ytterbium-doped fiber laser, demonstrating stable passive Q-switching operation. The nonlinear transmission curve reveals a modulation depth of 6.82% at 1 µm and a saturation intensity of 2.12 MW/cm2. Using an all-fiber ring cavity structure, stable Q-switched pulses with a central wavelength of 1031 nm were achieved at a pump threshold of 94 mW, with a maximum pulse repetition frequency of 30.1 kHz. The minimum pulse width reached 2.3 μs, and the single-pulse energy increased to 3.05 nJ, with an impressive radio frequency (RF) spectral signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 58.9 dB. This study demonstrates the potential of NiTe2 as a high-performance SA in the near-infrared region, providing a solid foundation for its future application in ultrafast laser technologies.