A Q-switched erbium-doped ZBLAN fiber laser with a V₄C₃ MXene saturable absorber mirror

A passive type of erbium-doped Q-switched ZBLAN fiber laser was experimentally demonstrated with a V₄C₃ MXene saturable absorber mirror (SAM). By implementing the V₄C₃ MXene SAM in a Fabry-Pérot laser cavity, Q-switched pulses were obtained with a stable 1.59 μJ pulse energy measured at a wavelength of ∼2736 nm. The duration of the pulse ranged from 5.4 to 1.1 µs with corresponding repetition rates from 19.5 to 51.5 kHz. The linear optical properties of V₄C₃ MXene were also investigated at mid-infrared wavelengths using density functional theory calculations. This study demonstrates the feasibility of V₄C₃ MXene as a promising nonlinear material platform that could pave the way for mid-infrared wavelength applications.