Low-dimensional materials as saturable absorbers for pulsed waveguide lasers

Abstract

Low-dimensional (LD) materials, such as 2D materials, carbon nanotubes, and nanoparticles, have attracted increasing attention for light modulation in photonics and optoelectronics. The high nonlinearity, broad bandwidth, and fast response enabled by LD materials are critical to realize desired functionalities in highly integrated photonic systems. Driven by the growing demand for compact laser sources, LD materials have recently demonstrated their great capacity as saturable absorbers in pulsed (Q-switched or mode-locked) laser generation in waveguide platforms. We review the recent advances of pulsed waveguide lasers based on LD materials. A perspective is also presented in this rapidly growing research field.