SWCNT@BNNT with 1D van der Waals Heterostructure with a High Optical Damage Threshold for Laser Mode-locking

Single-walled carbon nanotube encapsulated in boron nitrite nanotube (SWCNT@BNNT) is a novel nanomaterial with a one-dimensional van der Waals (1D-vdW) heterostructure. In this paper, we demonstrated that the SWCNT@BNNT has an enhanced optical power tolerance compared to that of the pristine SWCNT while exhibiting an optical saturable absorption properties. Under optical power intensity of 13kW/cm2, the lifetime of the SWCNT@BNNT is found to be 2,270 times longer than SWCNT for 1% degradation in absorbance. A short-cavity mode-locked laser with a high repetition rate of 1 GHz has been realized using the SWCNT@BNNT as the saturable absorber. We have shown that the technique of fabricating nanomaterial with a 1D-vdW heterostructure can modify and enhance the optical properties of the encapsulated nanomaterials.