Single- and Burst-Mode Operation of Dissipative Soliton Mode-Locked Ytterbium-Doped Fiber Laser Using ZIF-Derived N-Doped Nanoporous Carbon as Saturable Absorber for Material Processing

In this study, ZIF-derived N-doped nanoporous carbon (NPC) has been successfully utilized as a saturable absorber for single- and burst-mode operation of a mode-locked fiber laser. The synthesized NPC was analyzed to have a rhombic dodecahedral structure derived from the ZIF template, as well as nanoporous structures with pore diameters of 0.44–0.52 nm. The laser system can be effectively divided into two modes, making it very versatile and industrial-friendly, depending on the required pulse energy. In single-mode operation, a dissipative soliton was achieved with a repetition rate of 27.0 MHz, a pulse width of 5.7 ps, and a center wavelength of 1029 nm. These pulses are amplified using a single-mode amplifier, increasing the average optical output power and pulse energy up to 104 mW and 3.9 nJ, respectively. The burst mode has generated 4 pulses per packet, yielding a pulse energy of 52.1 nJ. This experimental setup demonstrates a cost-effective, versatile, high-energy mode-locked fiber laser source suitable for precision material processing, selective thin-film scribing, or surface engineering.