TiO2-Based Q-Switched Ytterbium-Doped Fiber Laser

A Q-switched ytterbium-doped fiber laser (YDFL) using Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO
₂
) as a saturable absorber (SA) is proposed and demonstrated. Q-switched pulses with a center wavelength of 1035.5 nm are obtained at a threshold pump power of 137.6 mW. The generated pulses have a maximum repetition rate and minimum pulse width of 86.7 kHz and 4.3 μs, respectively, as well as a corresponding pulse energy and average output power of 1.7 nJ and 0.15 mW, respectively. The proposed YDFL demonstrates the viability of TiO
₂
nanoparticles as an SA for producing Q-switching pulses in the 1.0 μm region.