Recent Progress in Broadband Carbon Nanotube Saturable Absorbers for Ultrafast Bulk Solid-State Lasers

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are one of the most investigated nanomaterials for a variety of applications due to their unique electronic and optical characteristics. Over the last two decades, CNTs have been widely investigated to develop efficient passive mode-locking devices applicable for diverse ultrafast laser systems, because they exhibit high nonlinearity, photo-excited ultrafast carrier recovery, broadband applicability and relatively easy processes for device fabrication. In this overview article, recent progress of CNT-based saturable absorbers applicable for mode-locking ultrafast bulk solid-state lasers operating in a broad spectral range between 800 nm and 2100 nm will be reviewed.