Nonlinear optical properties of 2D materials and their ultrafast fiber laser applications

Two-dimensional (2D) materials usually exhibit strong light-matter interactions and large optical nonlinearity, which have been applied in nonlinear optical devices. Extensive efforts have especially been made to study 2D materials as saturable absorbers for ultrafast laser pulses generation. This thesis begins with reviewing recent progress in 2D materials-based ultrafast fiber lasers. Then experimental results on four different material systems are presented, including PtSe2, Mo2C-graphene heterostructure, Cu3-xP nanocrystals, and germanene. This thesis concludes with a summary of the key findings and outlook for future exploration of 2D materials for future nonlinear optical and photonic technologies.