Group VIB transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have been successfully demonstrated as saturable absorbers (SAs) for pulsed fiber lasers. For the group comprising IVB TMDs, applications in this field remain unexplored. In this work, ZrS₂-based SA is prepared by depositing a ZrS₂ nanostructured film onto the side surface of a D-shaped fiber. The nonlinear optical properties of the prepared SA are investigated, which had a modulation depth of 3.3% and a saturable intensity of 13.26 MW/cm². In a pump power range of 144–479 mW, the Er-doped fiber (EDF) laser with ZrS₂ can operate in the dual-wavelength Q-switching state. The pulse duration declined from 10.0 μs down to 2.3 μs. The single pulse energy reached 53.0 nJ. The usage of ZrS₂ as a SA for pulse generation in fiber lasers is presented for the first time. Compared to the experimental results of dual-wavelength Q-switched fiber lasers with two-dimensional (2D) materials, our laser performance was better. Our work indicates that the group comprising IVB TMD ZrS₂ has bright prospects for nonlinear optical applications.

The two-dimensional (2D) layered material MoS2 has attracted numerous attentions for electronics and optoelectronics applications. In this work, a novel ty

Based on the nonlinear broadband saturation absorption, ultrafast carrier recovery rate, and ultrashort recovery time of new low dimensional materials, ultrafast photonics has rapidly developed as an interdisciplinary field. We have demonstrated multiple solitons state output in an erbium-doped fiber laser based on saturable absorption characteristic of AgInP₂S₆. By preparing AgInP₂S₆ with a modulation depth of 10.3% as a saturable absorber, a soliton mode-locked operation state with a pulse duration of 292 fs was achieved. The pulse repetition frequency is 43 MHz, and the signal-to-noise ratio is as high as 82 dB. In addition, a bound state soliton with a pulse width of 332 fs and a harmonic mode-locked with a frequency of up to 645 MHz were also achieved. The experimental results support the possibility of AgInP₂S₆ as a saturable absorber; therefore, AgInP₂S₆ material may be a strong candidate for future promising saturable absorber materials.