Development of 2 μm all‐solid‐state pulsed laser using a saturable absorber

Abstract The pulse laser using a saturable absorber as a passive device has the advantages of narrow pulse width, high repetition rate, and high pulse energy. Low‐dimensional materials have attracted research interest in recent years due to their excellent saturable absorption properties, ultra‐fast carrier response speed, high damage threshold, and so on. This paper gives a brief review of the state‐of‐the‐at 2 µm solid‐state lasers using saturable absorbers. The output performance of lasers in repetition rate, pulse energy, pulse width, and wavelength are summarized. The paper is expected to provide a development direction of novel materials as saturable absorbers in 2 µm solid‐state lasers.