Generation of Q-switched erbium-doped fiber laser using MAX phase titanium aluminum nitride Ti4AlN3

Abstract

We achieved a self-induced Q-switched erbium-doped fiber laser (EDFL) operating at 1559.4 nm through the integration of a Titanium Aluminum Nitride, Ti4AlN3 MAX phase film as a saturable absorber (SA). The MAX phase was embedded into a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrix, ensuring contamination-free compatibility. The SA film demonstrated a modulation depth of 17% and saturation intensity of 0.5 MW/cm². Integration of the film enabled stable Q-switching, producing pulses with 5.75 µs width at 59.2 kHz repetition rate and 29.9 – 64.7 mW pump power. Parameters included a maximum average output power of 2.34 mW, maximum pulse energy of 39.5 nJ, and highest peak power of 6.87 mW. The RF spectrum exhibited a 63 dB signal-to-noise ratio, indicating high pulse signal quality. This demonstration of Ti4AlN3 MAX phase film Q-switched fiber laser holds promise for applications including biomedicine.