The nonlinear optical properties of few-layer VSe2 nanosheets

Vanadium Diselenide (VSe
₂
) has a high electrical conductivity owing to the electron delocalization of the vanadium lattice framework. Most of previous research has been focused on its electronic properties. The nonlinear optical properties of VSe
₂
have not been investigated yet. Herein, we prepared few-layer VSe
₂
nanoflakes by liquid phase exfoliation. Subsequently, we utilized Z-scan technique to study the nonlinear optical properties of few-layer VSe
₂
nanoflakes. And we prepared VSe
₂
based saturable absorbers (SA) and achieved passively mode-locked operation in Er-doped fiber laser. The results indicate that VSe
₂
nanosheets own remarkable nonlinear optical properties and could be employed as ideal saturable absorption materials in pulsed fiber lasers.