Passively Q-switched mode-locking Er-doped fiber laser with tunable wavelength and pulsating soliton

•Wavelength tuning of QML pulse in the 41.5 nm range (1528.05 nm-1569.55 nm) is achieved by using Lyot filters.•A new type of QML pulse which involves pulsatile soliton, called Q-switched harmonic mode-locking pulsing-soliton (QHML-PS), has been discovered.•The specific characteristics of pulsating solitons in QML pulsed lasers were verified. And realized QHML-PS pulses with 15th harmonic mode-locking.