Recent Progress in 2D Material‐Based Saturable Absorbers for All Solid‐State Pulsed Bulk Lasers

TLDR

All‑solid‑state pulsed lasers are essential in medical, military, industrial, and scientific fields, and passive Q‑switching and mode‑locking rely on saturable absorbers whose 2D layered materials provide ultrafast dynamics, broadband operation, strong nonlinear response, and easy integration. This review surveys recent advances in all‑solid‑state pulsed lasers using 2D layered material saturable absorbers, covering their properties, fabrication, characterization, design criteria, applications, and future prospects. The authors examine the fundamental characteristics, fabrication methods, ultrafast dynamics characterization, nonlinear optical properties, and design criteria of 2D material saturable absorbers for passive Q‑switching and mode‑locking in bulk lasers.

Abstract

Abstract All solid‐state pulsed lasers (ASSPLs) play a significant role in the fields of medical, military, industry, and scientific research. Passive Q‐switching and mode‐locking are two of the most effective techniques for generating ASSPLs, in which a saturable absorber (SA) is the key element that has great impact on laser output parameters. Recently, 2D layered materials have been widely studied due to their intriguing properties. Their advantages of ultrafast dynamic processing, excellent nonlinear optical response, broadband operation, and easy fabrication and integration with lasers, enable them to be excellent SAs. Herein, the recent progress of ASSPLs with 2D layered material‐based SAs is reviewed, including a brief introduction of the fundamental characteristics, fabrication methods, characterization techniques of ultrafast dynamics, and nonlinear optical properties of 2D materials, design criteria of passively Q‐switched and mode‐locked bulk lasers, and their applications in ASSPLs. Finally, the potential developments and perspectives on 2D material‐based ASSPLs are also highlighted.