In₂Ge₂Te₆ Nanosheets for Pulsed Fiber Laser

The various properties of In2Ge2Te6, a ternary layered chemical belonging to the hexagermanate family, have been little investigated so far. Herein, we experimentally investigated the structure and optical properties of In2Ge2Te6 and its application in pulsed fiber laser. Few-layered In2Ge2Te6 nanosheets with a thickness less than 8 nm have been successfully prepared by the liquid exfoliation method. In the C-band, In2Ge2Te6 has a nonlinear saturable absorption property, and it varies with the polarization state. The modulation depths of In2Ge2Te6 are 2.39 and 2.49% under two vertical polarization states of the laser, respectively. Saturable absorber fabricated with In2Ge2Te6 can be applied to an Er-doped fiber laser. This laser can output stable bright pulses and bright–bright–dark pulses. This study suggests that In2Ge2Te6-based devices could be developed as efficient ultrafast photonics candidates.