Q-switched yb-doped fiber ring laser with a saturable absorber based on a graphene polyvinyl alcohol film

• Main Authors: Al-Masoodi, Abtisam Hasan Hamood, Ahmad, Fauzan, Ahmad, H., Harun, Sulaiman Wadi
• Format: Article
• Published: Springer New York 2015
• Subjects: TK Electrical engineering. Electronics Nuclear engineering
• Online Access: http://eprints.utm.my/id/eprint/55132/; http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10946-015-9515-y
• Institution: Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

We propose, design, and demonstrate a Q-switched ytterbium-doped fiber laser (YDFL) employing a thin graphene polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) film as a passive saturable absorber (SA). The graphene is synthesized by electrochemical exfoliation of graphite at room temperature in 1% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) aqueous solution. Graphene flakes obtained from the process are mixed with PVA solution as the host polymer to produce a thin film, which acts as a passive Q-switcher in the YDFL ring cavity. The laser generates a stable pulse operating at a wavelength of 1,076.4 nm with a threshold pump power of 73.7 mW. At a maximum 980 nm pump power of 113.6 mW, the YDFL generates an optical pulse train with a repetition rate of 25.53 kHz and a pulse width of 10 µs. The maximum pulse energy of 50.9 nJ is obtained at a pump power of 109.9 mW. A higher-performance Q-switched YDFL is expected to be achieved with optimization of the graphene saturable absorber and the laser cavity.