Comparison between multiple quantum wells and carbon nanotubes to generate high power in mode-locked fiber oscillator

Ultrashort pulse laser sources are deployed in a wide variety of applications ranging from basic scientific research and metrology to eye surgery and material processing. The majority of fiber lasers produce ultrashort pulses thanks to nonlinear optical elements called saturable absorbers (SA). Currently, multiple quantum wells (MQW-SA) structures are regularly used as SA. Recently, at 1.5 µm, we report the highest pulse energy extracted from a fiber oscillator passively mode-locked by MQW-SA [1]. The discovery of the nonlinear optical behaviour of carbon nanotubes (CNT-SA) makes them attractive materials for replacing MQW-SA [2].