Few-layer MoS_2 grown by chemical vapor deposition as a passive Q-switcher for tunable erbium-doped fiber lasers

We report an erbium-doped fiber laser passively Q-switched by a few-layer molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) saturable absorber (SA). The few-layer MoS2 is grown by the chemical vapor deposition method and transferred onto the end-face of a fiber connector to form a fiber-compatible MoS2 SA. The laser cavity is constructed by using a three-port optical circulator and a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) as the two end-mirrors. Stable Q-switched pulses are obtained with a pulse duration of 1.92 μs at 1560.5 nm. By increasing the pump power from 42 to 204 mW, the pulse repetition rate can be widely changed from 28.6 to 114.8 kHz. Passive Q-switching operations with discrete lasing wavelengths ranging from 1529.8 to 1570.1 nm are also investigated by using FBGs with different central wavelengths. This work demonstrates that few-layer MoS2 can serve as a promising SA for wideband-tunable Q-switching laser operation.