Optical-intensity modulators with PbTe thermoelectric nanopowders for ultrafast photonics

•The discovery confirmed the better light intensity modulation capability of nanopowder PbTe compared with bulk PbTe by controllable variable method.•It is based on nano PbTe was utlized to achieve 830 fs laser pulse in fiber ring laser.•It provides a new way to explore the interaction between light and material.