Passively Q-Switched 1.5- μm Erbium-Doped All-Fibre Laser with Silver Saturable Absorber

Abstract

This research examines the operation of a passively Q-switched erbium-doped all-fibre laser (EDFL) using a silver (Ag) based saturable absorber (SA) by comparing the output characteristics of the Q-switched laser with those of continuous wave all-fibre lasers. A study was done on how the laser's Q-factor is modified and affects the rate at which pulses are repeated, as well as their output power, width, and energy. The results showed that high-energy Q-switched pulses were successfully generated at the essential 1.5 µm wavelength within the pump power range of 83.6 mW to 171.7 mW, with repetition rates ranging from 33.46 kHz to 77.96 kHz. The EDFL generated a pulse with a width of 4.033 µs and an energy of 2.82 nJ at a pump power of 171.7 mW. The results indicate that Ag may potentially be a good SA for pulse production in the 1.5 µm wavelength area as well as for use in a wide range of applications.