Fig. 1. (a) Scheme of the face-centered cubic ZrC unit cell, (b) calculated band structure of ZrC, (c) projected DOS for ZrC, and (d) XRD pattern of ZrC powder.

Fig. 2. (a) SEM image and (b) TEM image of sonicated ZrC solvent; (c) TEM image, (d) AFM image, and (e) height variations in the region marked in blue in (d) of ZrC nanoflakes; (f) TEM image of a ZrC cluster.

Fig. 3. Top: linear transmission of (a) ZrC nanoflake SA and (b) ZrC nanocluster SA, nonlinear transmission of (c) ZrC nanoflake SA and (d) ZrC nanocluster SA; bottom: laser configuration scheme.

Fig. 4. (a) Output power versus pump power of the CW laser (inset: CW lasing spectrum); (b) output power (inset: lasing spectrum), (c) repetition rate, (d) pulse energy, (e) pulse duration, and (f) peak power versus absorbed pump power for the ZrC nanoflakes SA Q-switched laser.

Fig. 5. Top: (a) output stability of the nanocluster SA Q-switched laser operation (inset: image of damaged IC) as well as (b) output power, (c) repetition rate, (d) pulse energy, (e) pulse duration, and (f) peak power versus absorbed pump power; bottom: typical Q-switched pulse train and temporal pulse shape at the maximum average output power.