Q-switched erbium-doped fiber lasers with ITO thin film saturable absorbers: A comprehensive cavity configuration study

• Main Authors: Muhamad Zamri, Ain Zamira, Zalkepali, Noor Ummi Hazirah Hani, Awang, Noor Azura, Mun Kok Lim, Mun Kok Lim, Nik Mahmud, Nik Noor Haryatul Eleena, Muhammad, Nur Ainnaa Mardhiah
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2024
• Subjects: TA Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)
• Online Access: http://eprints.uthm.edu.my/10900/1/J17339_a72bebc5697da90be831fda739c36e08.pdf; http://eprints.uthm.edu.my/10900/; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yofte.2023.103638

This study presents the utilization of an indium tin oxide (ITO) thin film as a saturable absorber (SA) in various cavity configurations to illustrate a Q-switched erbium-doped fiber laser (EDFL). The system is designed in three distinct configurations, including linear, single-ring, and Figure-8 cavities, by integrating ITO in the setup, which has a modulation depth of 48.04 %. The research findings highlight that the single-ring cavity design has better performance over linear and Figure-8 designs in terms of Q-switched EDFL performance. The advantage of the single-ring cavity design is demonstrated by the higher values of the repetition rate and signal-to-noise ratio, which are 37.60 kHz and 57.45 dB, respectively. Subsequently, this single-ring cavity can be employed in applications of tunable, switchable dual-wavelength systems and optical fiber sensing.