The hot forming-quenching integrated process (HFQ^®) organically combines the deformation and heat treatment, which can improve the forming performance of aluminum alloy while ensuring the final strength of formed parts. Thermal deformation in HFQ^® has a non-negligible influence on precipitation behavior in subsequent artificial aging treatment and affects the mechanical properties of the formed parts. In this study, the relationship between the precipitation behavior and thermal deformation ratios was investigated. Results indicated that the formation temperatures of η′ and η decreased with an increasing deformation ratio; however, the former decreased more than the latter. The activation energy of η′ precipitation decreased linearly with increasing deformation ratio. Additionally, the phase transition fraction of η′ increased with the deformation ratio, leading to shorter times required to reach equivalent phase transition fractions. Deformation accelerated the phase transition of η′, and greater deformation resulted in a shorter transition time. The aging time required for peak Vickers hardness decreased with increasing deformation ratio, reflecting the promotion of precipitated phase formation and transformation by introduced dislocations. Consequently, peak hardness and yield strength were achieved in shorter aging times. In terms of industrial applications, this discovery offers significant advantages for shortening the production cycle of the hot stamping process and reducing production costs.

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are key materials in ultrafast photonics. However, the performance of conventional TMDs is limited by their bandwidth and carrier recovery time. The novel Dirac semimetal nickel ditelluride (NiTe₂), with its broad-band response and excellent nonlinear properties, emerges as an ideal candidate for saturable absorber (SA) materials. In this work, we report, for the first time, the application of NiTe₂ in the ytterbium-doped fiber laser, demonstrating stable passive Q-switching operation. The nonlinear transmission curve reveals a modulation depth of 6.82% at 1 µm and a saturation intensity of 2.12 MW/cm². Using an all-fiber ring cavity structure, stable Q-switched pulses with a central wavelength of 1031 nm were achieved at a pump threshold of 94 mW, with a maximum pulse repetition frequency of 30.1 kHz. The minimum pulse width reached 2.3 μs, and the single-pulse energy increased to 3.05 nJ, with an impressive radio frequency (RF) spectral signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 58.9 dB. This study demonstrates the potential of NiTe₂ as a high-performance SA in the near-infrared region, providing a solid foundation for its future application in ultrafast laser technologies.