Nanosecond Q-switched pulse generation using poly(3,4 ethylenedioxythiophene): Poly(4-styrenesulfonate) thin film as saturable absorber

Q-switched Erbium-doped fiber laser (EDFL) was demonstrated utilizing poly(3,4 ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT: PSS) as saturable absorber (SA). The proposed film was fabricated by mixing the PEDOT: PSS with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The nonlinear characterization was demonstrated, revealing a saturable absorption of 50%, a saturation intensity of 0.14 MW/cm². and a non-saturable absorption of 44%. The SA was incorporated into a laser configuration to operate as a new passive Q-switcher for nanosecond pulse generation. The Q-switched laser operated at 1568.03 nm with a 3-dB bandwidth of 2.66 nm. The maximum pulse energy, high repetition rate, and minimum pulse width were obtained at 192.11 nJ, 108.69 kHz, and 580 ns, respectively. The nonlinear characterization was demonstrated, revealing a saturable absorption of 50%, a saturation intensity of 0.14 MW/cm². and a non-saturable absorption of 44%. This is the first demonstration of utilizing PEDOT: PSS film as SA with an inexpensive preparation process to generate Q-switched pulses.