Q-switched yellow dysprosium laser based on transition metal dichalcogenide saturable absorbers

In this paper, we report two different saturable absorbers based on transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) and utilize them to Q-switch a Dy3+/Tb3+:LuLiF4 crystal yellow laser. The samples are fabricated by the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method and characterized with the atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Raman spectroscopy. Linear and nonlinear optical properties of the WS2 and WSe2 samples are explored using a balanced twin-detector technique. Efficient passive Q-switched operations are achieved with the maximum average output power of 37 mW and 54 mW using WS2 and WSe2 saturable absorbers, respectively. The experimental results indicate the potential of TMDs for all-solid-state Q-switched pulses in the yellow laser. •Continuous-wave yellow laser was generated with Dy3+,Tb3+:LuLiF4 crystal.•Linear and nonlinear optical properties of the WS2 and WSe2 samples were explored in the visible range.•Efficient passive Q-switched yellow lasers were achieved using WS2 and WSe2 saturable absorbers, respectively.