Investigating various physical representations of Q-switched saturable absorbers using Green-Synthesized silver nanoparticles

Abstract

We successfully investigate the generation of Q-switched pulses utilizing two distinct forms of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs): AgNPs thin film and AgNPs powder. Employing a green synthesis approach with AgNO3 and Oolong tea extract, AgNPs were fabricated as saturable absorbers (SAs) for Q-switching. The AgNPs thin film SA exhibited a remarkable repetition rate of 79.53 kHz, coupled with a pulse width of 2.38 µs and a pulse energy of 1.08 nJ. In contrast, AgNPs powder achieved a repetition rate of 40.53 kHz, a pulse width of 3.33 µs, and a pulse energy of 2.03 nJ. Notably, the AgNPs thin film demonstrated superior stability with a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 55.07 dB compared to the powder’s SNR of 50.65 dB. These findings underscore the significant impact of the physical form of saturable absorbers on pulse characteristics, offering promising avenues for diverse applications in telecommunication, optical fiber sensors, and material processing. The novelty lies in comparing different physical forms of AgNPs as saturable absorbers, revealing distinct performance metrics and highlighting their potential for various technological applications.