Sains Malaysiana 48(6)(2019): 1289–1294

http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2019-4806-17

Generation of Microsecond Ytterbium-Doped Fiber Laser Pulses using Bismuth Telluride Thin Film as Saturable Absorber

(Generasi Denyutan Laser Gentian Mikrosaat Iterbium-Terdop yang Menggunakan Filem Nipis Telurida Bismut sebagai Penyerap Boleh Tepu)

MUHAMMAD AIZI MAT SALIM¹, MOHD ZULHAKIMI AB RAZAK²*, SAAIDAL RAZALLI AZZUHRI³, MOHD AFIQ ISMAIL⁴, FAUZAN AHMAD⁴ & SULAIMAN WADI HARUN⁵

¹Laser Center, Ibnu Sina Institute for Scientific and Industrial Research (ISI-SIR), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Johor Bahru, Johor Darul Takzim, Malaysia

²Institute of Microengineering and Nanoelectronics (IMEN), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

³Department of Computer Systems and Technology, Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory, Malaysia

⁴Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology (MJIIT), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 54100 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory, Malaysia

⁵Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory, Malaysia

Diserahkan: 2 Januari 2019/Diterima: 28 Februari 2019

ABSTRACT

Bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3), a type of topological insulators, is currently in hot pursuit due to its unique physical properties. Therefore, this paper describes a simple Q-switched Ytterbium-doped fiber laser (YDFL) by using Bi2Te3 thin-film as saturable absorber. The few layers Bi2Te3 film was fabricated using optical deposition technique and subsequently, was used in an all-fiber, YDFL setup. As a result, a self-starting Q-switching pulses were first occurred when the laser pumping power reached 88.6 mW. As the pump power level increased, the observed pulses repetition rates had increased steadily from 17 to 29.63 kHz. Hence, this work demonstrated that Bi2Te3 thin-film can be used to successfully generate Q-switching pulses at 1-micron region and is well suited for many photonic applications operated at this wavelength region.

Keywords: Bi2Te3; optical deposition; Q-switched; saturable absorber; ytterbium fiber laser

ABSTRAK

Telurida Bismut (Bi2Te3), sejenis penebat bertopologi adalah sejenis bahan yang menjadi tumpuan kajian pada masa ini kerana keunikan sifat bahannya. Justeru, kertas ini menerangkan tentang kaedah mudah untuk menghasilkan denyutan laser rangkaian-Q berasaskan gentian optik iterbium (YDFL) dengan menggunakan filem nipis Bi2Te3 sebagai penyerap boleh tepu. Beberapa lapisan filem nipis Bi2Te3 telah dihasilkan dengan menggunakan kaedah pemendapan optik dan seterusnya digunakan dalam satu persediaan penghasilan denyutan laser YDFL dengan hanya menggunakan komponen gentian optik sahaja. Hasilnya, denyutan laser rangkaian-Q yang mula kelihatan apabila kuasa pengepam mencapai 88.6 mW. Kadar pengulangan denyutan laser didapati meningkat dengan berterusan daripada 17 kepada 29.63 kHz apabila tahap kuasa pengepam dinaikkan sedikit demi sedikit. Sebagai kesimpulan, hasil kajian ini telah menunjukkan bahawa filem nipis Bi2Te3 dengan jayanya telah dapat menjana denyutan laser rangkaian-Q pada rantau 1-mikron dan keputusan ini telah membuka peluang dan sesuai digunakan dalam banyak aplikasi fotonik yang beroperasi pada panjang gelombang ini.

Kata kunci: Bi2Te3; laser gentian optik iterbium; pemendapan optik; penyerap boleh tepu; rangkaian-Q

RUJUKAN

Ahmad, H., Rashid, F.A.A., Azzuhri, S.R., Salim, M.A.M., Shaharuddin, R.A., Ismail, M.A. & Razak, M.Z.A. 2016. The generation of passive dual wavelengths Q-switched YDFL by MoSe2 film. Laser Physics Letters 13: 11.

Ahmad, H., Salim, M.A.M., Azzuhri, S.R., Soltanian, M. & Harun, S.W. 2015. A passively Q-switched ytterbium-doped fiber laser based on a few-layer Bi2Se3 saturable absorber. Laser Physics 25(6): 065102.

Ahmad, H., Muhammad, F.D., Zulkifli, M.Z. & Harun, S.W. 2012. Graphene-oxide-based saturable absorber for all-fiber q-switching with a simple optical deposition technique. IEEE Photonics Journal 4(6): 2205-2213.

Bao, Q., Zhang, H., Wang, Y., Ni, Z., Yan, Y. & Shen, Z.X. 2009. Atomic-layer graphene as a saturable absorber for ultrafast pulsed lasers. Advanced Functional Materials 19(19): 3077- 3083.

Bernard, F., Zhang, H., Gorza, S.P. & Emplit, P. 2012. Towards mode-locked fiber laser using topological insulators. Nonlinear Photonics 2012: NTh1A. 5.

Chen, Y., Zhao, C., Chen, S., Du, J., Tang, P. & Jiang, G. 2014. Large energy, wavelength widely tunable, topological insulator Q-switched erbium-doped fiber laser. IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics 20(5): 315-322.

Chen, Y., Analytis, J., Chu, J.H., Liu, Z., Mo, S.K. & Qi, X.L. 2009. Experimental realization of a three-dimensional topological insulator, Bi2Te3. Science 325(5937): 178-181.

Gao, P., Huang, H., Wang, X., Liu, H., Huang, J., Weng, W., Dai, S., Li, J. & Lin, W. 2018. Passively Q-switched solid-state Tm: YAG laser using topological insulator Bi2Te3 as a saturable absorber. Applied Optics 57(9): 2020-2024.

Harun, H.A., Zainal, R. & Daud, Y.M. 2017. Analisis komposisi kuku manusia menggunakan spektroskopi pemecahan teraruh laser. Sains Malaysiana 46(1): 75-82.

Herda, R., Kivistö, S. & Okhotnikov, O.G. 2008. Dynamic gain induced pulse shortening in Q-switched lasers. Optics Letters 33(9): 1011-1013.

Kashiwagi, K., Yamashita, S. & Set, S.Y. 2009. In situ monitoring of optical deposition of carbon nanotubes onto fiber end. Optics Express 17(7): 5711-5715.

Keller, U., Weingarten, K.J., Kärtner, F.X., Kopf, D., Braun, B. & Jung, I.D. 1996. Semiconductor saturable absorber mirrors (SESAM’s) for femtosecond to nanosecond pulse generation in solid-state lasers. IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics 2(3): 435-453.

Lee, J., Koo, J., Chi, C. & Lee, J.H. 2014. All-fiberized, passively Q-switched 1.06-um laser using a bulk-structured Bi2Te3 topological insulator. Journal of Optics 16(8): 085203.

Li, P., Zhang, G., Zhang, H., Zhao, C., Chi, J. & Zhao, Z. 2014. Switched mode-locked Nd: YVO 4 laser by topological insulator Bi2Te3 saturable absorber. IEEE Photonics Technology Letters 26(19): 1912-1915.

Lin, Y.Y., Song, W.H., Lee, P., Wang, Y.R., Zhang, H. & Lee, C.K. 2018. Dynamic cavity effects in topological insulator Bi2Te3 based passive Q-switched solid state laser. Journal of Physics Communications 2(12): 125007.

Liu, J., Wu, S., Yang, Q.H. & Wang, P. 2011. Stable nanosecond pulse generation from a graphene-based passively Q-switched Yb-doped fiber laser. Optics Letters 36(20): 4008-4010.

Luo, Z.C., Cao, W.J., Luo, A.P. & Xu, W.C. 2012. Optical deposition of graphene saturable absorber integrated in a fiber laser using a slot collimator for passive mode-locking. Applied Physics Express 5(5): 055103.

Luo, Z.Q., Huang, Y.Z., Weng, J., Cheng, H.H., Lin, Z.Q. & Xu, B. 2013. 1.06 μm Q-switched ytterbium-doped fiber laser using few-layer topological insulator Bi2Se3 as a saturable absorber. Optics Express 21(24): 29516-29522.

Mohamed, M.A., Zulkefli, F.D. & Majlis, B.Y. 2017. Pencirian transistor karbon tiub nano berdinding tunggal yang dihasilkan melalui kaedah pertumbuhan langsung. Sains Malaysiana 46(7): 1141-1145.

Martinez, A., Fuse, K., Xu, B. & Yamashita, S. 2010. Optical deposition of graphene and carbon nanotubes in a fiber ferrule for passive mode-locked lasing. Optics Express 18(22): 23054-23061.

Pinghua, T., Xiaoqi, Z., Chujun, Z., Yong, W., Han, Z. & Deyuan, S. 2013. Topological insulator: (Bi2Te3) Saturable absorber for the passive Q-switching operation of an in-band pumped 1645-nm Er:YAG ceramic laser. IEEE Photonics Journal 5(2): 1500707-1500707.

Razak, M., Anyi, C., Saleh, Z.S., Ahmad, F., Harun, S.W. & Arof, H. 2016. High-power Q-switched erbium-ytterbium codoped fiber laser using multiwalled carbon nanotubes saturable absorber. Journal of Optical Engineering 55(10): 106112.

Russo, V., Bailini, A., Zamboni, M., Passoni, M., Conti, C., Casari, C.S., Bassi, A.L. & Bottani, C.E. 2008. Raman spectroscopy of Bi-Te thin films. Journal of Raman Spectroscopy 39(2): 205-210.

Salim, M.A.M., Ahmad, H., Harun, S.W., Bidin, N. & Krishnan, G. 2018. Generation of an ultrafast femtosecond soliton fiber laser by carbon nanotube as saturable absorber. Journal of Physics: Conference Series 1027(1): 012011.

Salim, M.A.M., Shaharuddin, R., Ismail, M., Harun, S.W., Ahmad, H. & Azzuhri, S.R. 2017. Bi2Te3 based passively Q-switched at 1042.76 and 1047 nm wavelength. Laser Physics 27(12): 125102.

Sun, Y.J., Lee, C.K., Xu, J.L., Zhu, Z.J., Wang, Y.Q. & Gao, S.F. 2015. Passively Q-switched tri-wavelength Yb³⁺:GdAl3(BO3)4 solid-state laser with topological insulator Bi2Te3 as saturable absorber. Photonics Research 3(3): A97-A101.

Yang, J., Tian, K., Li, Y., Dou, X., Ma, Y., Han, W., Xu, H. & Liu, J. 2018. Few-layer Bi 2 Te 3: An effective 2D saturable absorber for passive Q-switching of compact solid-state lasers in the 1-μm region. Optics Express 26(17): 21379-21389.

Zayhowski, J. & Kelley, P. 1991. Optimization of Q-switched lasers. IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics 27(9): 2220- 2225.

Zhang, H., Liu, C.X., Qi, X.L., Dai, X., Fang, Z. & Zhang, S.C. 2009. Topological insulators in Bi2Se3, Bi2Te3 and Sb2Te3 with a single Dirac cone on the surface. Nature Physics 5(6): 438-442.

Zhang, L., Fan, J., Wang, J., Hu, J., Lotya, M. & Wang, G. 2012. Graphene incorporated Q-switching of a polarization-maintaining Yb-doped fiber laser. Laser Physics Letters 9(12): 888.

Zhao, C., Zou, Y., Chen, Y., Wang, Z., Lu, S. & Zhang, H. 2012. Wavelength-tunable picosecond soliton fiber laser with topological insulator: Bi2Se3 as a mode locker. Optics Express 20(25): 27888-27895.

Zitter, R.N. 1969. Saturated optical absorption through band filling in semiconductors. Applied Physics Letters 14(2): 73-74.

*Pengarang untuk surat-menyurat; email: zul.hakimi@ukm.edu.my