The new type of two-dimensional materials has the advantages of easy fabrication,low cost and good compatibility.Compared with the traditional saturable absorber,it has much wider broadband and higher damage threshold and has a wide application prospect in obtaining short pulse fiber laser.In this paper,the structure and properties of novel two-dimensional materials such as graphene,over-plated metal sulfides and topological insulators are reviewed with an emphasis on the worldwide research developments of short-pulse fiber laser based on new two-dimensional materials.Based on the review,the developing trend of this field is summarized.Challenges in techniques of new two-dimensional materials,and new areas of short-pulse technology in fiber lasers based on two-dimensional material are also discussed.