Zirconium Boride as a High Fluence Saturable Absorber for Q-Switched Fiber Lasers

Ultra-high temperature ceramics are widely used in hypersonic vehicles, nuclear reactors, and in other equipment that operates under extreme conditions. In particular, Zirconium Boride (ZrB 12 ) is an ultra-high temperature refractory ceramic material with a melting point above 3000 °C. The measured laser damage threshold of ZrB 12 is 132 mJ/cm 2 , higher than in many materials commonly used as saturable absorbers, making it suitable for work in high-power laser systems. Zirconium Boride is also used as a saturable absorber in an ytterbium-doped Q-switched fiber laser, producing pulses between 239 and 2600 ns.