MAX phase (Mo2Ti2AlC3) as a mode-locker for ultrafast fiber laser.

• Mode-locked erbium-doped all-fiber laser using Mo 2 Ti 2 AlC 3 saturable absorber. • Mo 2 Ti 2 AlC 3 was drop-casted onto a side-polished fiber. • The laser produced a soliton pulse train at 1561.3 nm. • The repetition rate and pulse duration are 1.8 MHz and 1.2 ps, respectively. We developed an ultrafast fiber laser using MAX phase material, Mo 2 Ti 2 AlC 3 , as a saturable absorber (SA). Mo 2 Ti 2 AlC 3 was drop casted onto a side-polished fiber to act as a SA in an erbium-doped fiber laser cavity. A soliton pulse train was successfully obtained via a mode-locking mechanism. It operated at 1561.3 nm with a repetition rate of 1.8 MHz and a pulse duration of 1.2 ps when a pump light was launched into the cavity at a range between 14.8 mW and 106.4 mW. The signal-background noise ratio of the laser was extremely high at 72.9 dB. We believe that this paper is the first that demonstrates the novel application of Mo 2 Ti 2 AlC 3 as a promising SA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]