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Nonlinear optical properties of metallic and oxide metallic nanoparticles have been extensively studied as saturable absorbers in fiber-optic lasers in the infrared region for the generation of short and/or ultrashort pulses. In this paper, we report an experimental study of the nonlinear optical response of silver and zinc nanoparticles for continuous-wave illumination at 1550 nm. Nonlinear absorption was investigated using the power-dependent transmission and Z-scan techniques. The results obtained from the first technique showed that the zinc and silver particles behave like saturable absorbers, the modulation depths obtained were 15 % and 32 %, respectively. The Z-scan technique showed the presence of nonlinear refraction and absorption in both samples, the open aperture configuration confirmed the behavior of the materials as saturable absorbers. Additionally, the nonlocality of the nonlinear response was analyzed using a numerical model.

In this work, we report the experimental study of a Q-switched optical fiber laser based on graphene oxide quantum dots (GOQDs) as saturable absorber (SA). GOQDs are fabricated by carbonization and exfoliation electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers. The results of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) showed bands caused by the CHs and CO groups associated with the GOQDs. The Raman spectrum showed the typical G and D bands of GOQDs. The size of the GOQDs, calculated by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) was 6 nm; additionally, by high resolution TEM (HRTEM), an interplanar distance of 0.19 nm corresponding to the (002) direction of the graphene oxide was calculated. The SA was achieved using the photodeposition technique of the GOQDs onto the core of a single-mode optical fiber. The nonlinear characterization (NLC) of the GOQDs was carried out using the P-scan technique with a high-gain erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) at a wavelength of 1550 nm. The obtained results showed a saturable absorption behavior with a value of β=−1.178x10−6(m/W) and a non-linear susceptibility of Im(χ(3))≈−1.573x10−7(esu). The experimental results of the SA, based on GOQDs as a switching device in a fiber laser, showed a typical behavior of a Q-switched laser by generating a pulsed emission at a wavelength of 1599 nm, a frequency from 2 to 16 kHz, and a maximum average output power of 1.3 mW.

The nonlinear optical response of graphene oxide quantum dots (GOQDs) fabricated by the carbonization and exfoliation of electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers is reported. Electrospun and carbonized fibers were characterized by SEM and XPS. SEM micrograph confirmed the formation of PAN fibers of 153.44 ± 6.44 nm, while by XPS the binding energies associated with sp2 and sp3 carbon hybridizations were found, after the carbonization process. On the other hand, the GOQDs obtained were characterized by photoluminescence (PL), UV–Vis, Raman spectroscopy, and High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM). The GOQDs size of 10 nm was estimated by HRTEM. Raman spectroscopy showed the D and G bands associated with the sp2 and sp3 hybridizations of the GOQDs, by PL two energy values of 2.67 and 2.97 eV were calculated. The UV–Vis spectrum showed two absorption bands confirming the presence of GOQDs. The nonlinear characterization was carried out using the P-scan technique, previously photodepositing GOQDs onto an optical fiber, using a coherent radiation source at a wavelength of 1550 nm. The results obtained showed a saturable absorption behavior with a value of β=−2.474×10−4m/W and a nonlinear susceptibility of χ(3)≈−7.749×10−4(esu). The results of this work showed that GOQDs obtained can be used for optical switching applications.

The synthesis and characterization of fluorescent carbon dots (CDs) obtained by an environmentally friendly method through carbonization, fragmentation and centrifugation of orange peel (citrus x sinensis) are reported. By thermogravimetry, 4 degradation regions associated with hemicellulose, lignin and organic matter were found. The SEM micrograph shows a rough surface morphology with flakes and granulation due to the carbonization process. X-ray diffraction (XRD) shows a hexagonal crystalline structure associated with graphitic carbon, which was confirmed by Raman scatterings, Raman spectroscopy that presented two main vibrational bands, D and G, associated with active defects in the graphitic carbon crystalline structure. The Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) micrograph showed CDs of size 33.65 ± 0.68n, and with High-Resolution TEM (HRTEM) an interplanar distance of 0.213 nm in the direction of the crystal planes (100) of graphitic carbon was obtained, which were confirmed by XRD and Raman spectroscopy. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed the relative atomic composition and identified the strongest photoelectron transitions of carbon, sp2 (286 eV) and sp3 (285 eV), in graphitic carbon. Ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy of the CDs obtained from fragmentation graphitic carbon showed a band at 205 nm associated with CC bonds π-π* of CC and n-π*, as well as two bands at 276 and 328 nm associated with bond transitions. The Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrum showed bands associated with CHs bonds as well as CC, CN bonds of the CDs. Fluorescence spectroscopy showed three emission bands at 2.43, 2.54 and 2.87 eV. The CDs showed the emission of the characteristic blue colour.

The study of the reduction of an optical fiber by chemical etching has been suggested to determine the concentrations of sucrose in water and their refractive indices by evanescent waves using a coherent infrared source. The cladding of a single-mode optical fiber was removed at a rate of ~3.27 µm min−1 using hydrofluoric acid until it reached a diameter of 7.3 µm, similar to the core of the fiber. This fiber was used to characterize sucrose solutions at different amounts employing a continuous wave infrared laser source at 1550 nm. The sucrose was dissolved in water to evaluate the quantitative sensor response based on the transmission relationship. The experimental results showed that the refractive indices obtained by the evanescent absorbance were in the range of 1.31–1.44 for concentrations of sucrose between 0% (water) to 65%. Additionally, it was determined that for concentrations higher than 65% of sucrose, the refractive index of the solution is similar to the core of the fiber, and therefore the total internal reflection was not possible. The results obtained in this work suggest that the etched optical fiber can be used as a refractive index sensor, which may play an important role in chemical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a passively Q-switched erbium-doped ring laser using zinc nanoparticles as a saturable absorber is studied and experimentally demonstrated. To achieve this, a saturable absorber was developed through a selective incorporation of zinc nanoparticles onto the core of an optical fiber using a coherent light source of an infrared laser at 1550 nm, then the saturable absorber was inserted into a laser cavity. The laser has a threshold pump power of 57.7 mW at 980 nm, and a range of pulse-repetition rate from 12.3 to 43 kHz. The highest pulse energy of 2.6 nJ was obtained at a repetition rate of 43 kHz and an output wavelength of 1565.5 nm. In addition, the saturable absorber was morphologically characterized by using both scanning electron and atomic force microscopy showing a uniform distribution of nanoparticles deposited on the optical fiber core. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first demonstration of a Q-switched fiber laser using Zn nanoparticles as a device of saturable absorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]