Patents Examined by Xinning Niu
  • Patent number: 10256605
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and circuits that may facilitate sub-5 nanosecond laser diode operation. An example system includes a trigger source, a laser diode, a first field effect transistor and a second field effect transistor. The laser diode is coupled to a supply voltage and a drain terminal of the first field effect transistor. A source terminal of the first field effect transistor is coupled to ground and a gate terminal of the first field effect transistor is coupled to the trigger source. A drain terminal of the second field effect transistor is coupled to the supply voltage. A source terminal of the second field effect transistor and a gate terminal of the second field effect transistor are coupled to ground. In an example embodiment, the first field effect transistor and the second field effect transistor comprise gallium nitride (GaN).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Blaise Gassend, Pierre-Yves Droz
  • Patent number: 10181700
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser includes a main body and a ridge structure arranged on the main body, the ridge structure being oriented along a longitudinal axis above an active zone, wherein the ridge structure has a first width, the ridge structure has two opposite end faces along the longitudinal axis, adjacent to at least one end face, the ridge structure has an end section arranged on one side with respect to a center axis of the ridge structure such that the ridge structure is widened on one side adjacent to the end face, and on an opposite side of the ridge structure relative to the end section a fracture trench is arranged adjacent to the end face and at a distance from the ridge structure in a surface of the main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: OSRAM Opto Semiconductors GmbH
    Inventors: Christoph Eichler, Jens Müller, Fabian Kopp
  • Patent number: 10156731
    Abstract: The present invention provides a partial random laser illumination device having a random phase and amplitude component, comprising: a gain medium, a pump source, a highly reflective mirror, and a random phase and amplitude component. The pump source excites electrons in the gain medium from a low energy level to a high energy level. The highly reflective mirror is passed through by an amplified laser beam emitted by the gain medium. The random phase and amplitude component is disposed between the gain medium and the highly reflective mirror, and is passed through by the amplified laser beam emitted by the gain medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: NATIONAL TAIWAN UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Shih-Yu Tu, Hoang-Yan Lin
  • Patent number: 10153616
    Abstract: A vertical external cavity surface emitting laser (VECSEL) structure includes a heterostructure and first and second reflectors. The heterostructure comprises an active region having one or more quantum well structures configured to emit radiation at a wavelength, ?lase, in response to pumping by an electron beam. One or more layers of the heterostructure may be doped. The active region is disposed between the first reflector and the second reflector and is spaced apart from the first reflector by an external cavity. An electron beam source is configured to generate the electron beam directed toward the active region. At least one electrical contact is electrically coupled to the heterostructure and is configured to provide a current path between the heterostructure and ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated
    Inventors: Thomas Wunderer, Noble M. Johnson, John E. Northrup
  • Patent number: 10153611
    Abstract: An example driver circuit includes a termination voltage circuit and a termination element coupled to the termination voltage circuit. The driver circuit also includes a current source switch coupled the termination element via a node. The driver circuit further includes a current source coupled to the current source switch. The current source switch and the termination voltage circuit are controlled via a control signal. The termination voltage circuit is to generate a termination voltage to match a node voltage of the node based on the control signal. The driver circuit further includes a load coupled to the termination element and the current source switch via the node. The driver circuit further includes a load voltage source coupled to the load. The node voltage is generated based on the load and the load voltage source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
    Inventors: Dacheng Zhou, Daniel Alan Berkram, Zhubiao Zhu
  • Patent number: 10134871
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming a first high-k (HK) dielectric layer over a substrate, performing a wet treatment process to the first HK dielectric layer. The wet treatment includes a dopant. The method also includes performing an annealing process to the first HK dielectric layer such that the dopant diffuses into the first HK dielectric layer to form a modified HK dielectric layer. Therefore the modified HK dielectric layer has a second dielectric constant which is different than the first dielectric constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Andrew Joseph Kelly, Yusuke Oniki
  • Patent number: 10126558
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are example embodiments for providing high power, narrow linewidth, high-stability laser sources. Particular embodiments are adapted for use in spin exchange optical pumping (SEOP).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLC
    Inventors: Bo Liu, Xin Tong, Chenyang Jiang, Lee Robertson
  • Patent number: 10116111
    Abstract: A method of generating white light pulses (2) with a white light generation device (100) includes the steps of coupling pump laser pulses (1) into a white light generation crystal (10), generating the white light pulses (2) by an optically non-linear conversion of the pump laser pulses (1) in the white light generation crystal (10) and detecting at least one pulse characteristic of at least one of the pump laser pulses (1) and the white light pulses (2), wherein the white light generation device (100) is controlled using a control loop device (30) and the white light generation device (100) is adjusted in dependency on the at least one detected pulse characteristic. Furthermore, a white light generation device (100) for generating white light pulses (2) is described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignees: DEUTSCHES ELEKTRONEN-SYNCHROTRON DESY, GSI HELMHOLTZZENTRUM FUER SCHWERIONENFORSCHUNG GMBH
    Inventors: Robert Riedel, Franz Tavella, Michael Schulz, Mark James Prandolini
  • Patent number: 10116114
    Abstract: According to the invention, a plurality of elementary laser beams (fi) are generated, the phases of which are adjusted by an electro-optical feedback loop (6, 7i, 8i, 9) implementing the matrix equation of a phase-contrast filtering device (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignees: COMPAGNIE INDUSTRIELLE DES LASERS CILAS, CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE (CNRS), UNIVERSITE DE LIMOGES
    Inventors: Vincent Kermene, Agnes Desfarges-Berthelemot, Paul Armand, Joel Benoist, David Kabeya, Alain Barthelemy, David Sabourdy, Jean-Eucher Montagne
  • Patent number: 10096974
    Abstract: An active layer of a quantum cascade laser includes an active layer includes a plurality of emission regions and a plurality of injection regions. Each emission region includes an injection barrier layer, and an light-emitting quantum well layer that has at least two well layers, and that emits infrared light by undergoing an intersubband transition. Each injection region includes an extraction barrier layer, and a relaxation quantum well layer that creates an energy level for relaxing the energy of carriers from the each emission region. One of adjacent two well layers in the light-emitting quantum well layer of the each emission region on the side of the extraction barrier layer is deeper than a second well layer on the side of the injection barrier layer. The each emission region and the injection region are alternately stacked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Hidehiko Yabuhara
  • Patent number: 10090635
    Abstract: The invention relates to a light module including a semiconductor laser element emitting a laser beam in a first cone of light, a photoluminescent element, and an optical means for transforming the light coming from the photoluminescent element into an exit light beam. The optical means has a guiding portion arranged to guide at least a portion of the light emitted in the first cone of light into a second cone of light and a device for detection of incident light. The light module comprises a means of deviation designed to deviate the light of the second cone of light toward a third cone of light directed toward the detection device arranged outside of the second cone of light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: VALEO VISION
    Inventor: Pierre Renaud
  • Patent number: 10090636
    Abstract: Provided is a semiconductor laser device including a plurality of semiconductor laser units LDC that are capable of being independently driven, and a spatial light modulator SLM that is optically coupled to a group of the plurality of semiconductor laser units LDC. Each of the semiconductor laser units includes a pair of clad layers having an active layer 4 interposed therebetween, and a diffractive lattice layer 6 that is optically coupled to the active layer 4. The semiconductor laser device includes a ¼ wavelength plate 26 that is disposed between a group of the active layers 4 of the plurality of semiconductor laser units LDC and a reflection film 23, and a polarizing plate 27 that is disposed between the group of the active layers 4 of the plurality of semiconductor laser units LDC and a light emitting surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Yuu Takiguchi, Kazuyoshi Hirose, Yoshiro Nomoto, Takahiro Sugiyama, Yoshitaka Kurosaka
  • Patent number: 10084284
    Abstract: Laser with extended mode-hop free spectral tuning ranges and methods for manufacturing such lasers are disclosed. In an embodiment the method includes providing a light emitting device, the light emitting device comprising a gain region and a first wavelength selection region and mounting the light emitting device on a thermally conductive carrier such that the gain region is mounted on a first carrier surface and the first wavelength selection region is arranged over and spaced apart from a second carrier surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: Photodigm, Inc.
    Inventors: Preston P. Young, Annie Xiang
  • Patent number: 10079468
    Abstract: A hybrid resonator and amplifier combination for generating a high energy output signal. The combination comprises a beam splitter for splitting a pump laser beam into first and second portions. The second portion beam being conveyed to a resonator which operates in a single transverse mode to generating a signal wavelength beam. An output coupler of the resonator allows a first portion of the signal wavelength beam to pass therethrough while retaining a second portion of the signal wavelength beam within the resonator. A system dichroic mirror receives and directs both the first portion and the signal wavelength beam toward an amplifier. The amplifier receives both the first portion and the signal wavelength beam. The first portion, upon passing through the amplifier, creates gain which is used by the amplifier to amplify the signal wavelength beam generate the high energy output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventors: Katherine J. Snell, John C. McCarthy
  • Patent number: 10074953
    Abstract: Anodes and cathodes for use in generating gas discharge laser light are disclosed. The improved anode has a transition portion that includes a substantially vertical sidewall to transition between the active portion and the end portion to reduce erosion-related issues. The improved cathode has thickened spine portions in enhanced erosion locations. The spine portions are thickened by removing material from the shoulder of the cathode stepped cross-section profile in those locations in order to improve the longevity of the cathode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: Cymer, LLC
    Inventors: Siqi Luo, Richard Carl Ujazdowski, Walter Dale Gillespie, Thomas Patrick Duffey
  • Patent number: 10074957
    Abstract: A method of providing optical supercontinuum pulses can comprise generating optical pump pulses with an optical pump laser, the optical pump pulses having a pump pulse repetition rate; launching optical pump pulses into a nonlinear optical element comprising an optical fiber; generating optical supercontinuum pulses from the optical pump pules via spectral broadening within the optical fiber; selectively providing a plurality of different repetition rates for the optical pump pulses so as to generate optical supercontinuum pulses having different repetition rates; and providing nominally identical spectral broadening of the optical supercontinuum pules having the different repetition rates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: NKT Photonics A/S
    Inventors: John Redvers Clowes, Anatoly Borisovich Grudinin, Ian Michael Godfrey
  • Patent number: 10074954
    Abstract: The present application relates to air-cooled electronic devices. An exemplary apparatus has an enclosure including one or more interior surfaces. The interior surfaces at least partially define a plenum. A support member is situated in the enclosure and defines a position reference plane, which can at least partially define the plenum. The apparatus further includes an air-to-fluid heat exchanger situated in the enclosure adjacent the support member, and one or more device bays configured to receive at least one corresponding electronic device. The device bays can be located adjacent the support member such that the position reference plane defines a boundary between the device bays and the plenum. The device bays, the plenum, and the air-to-fluid heat exchanger are in fluid communication with one another along a flow path defined within the enclosure, and the enclosure restricts an air flow along the flow path from exiting the enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: nLIGHT, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary L. Burkholder, Walter R. Sanders
  • Patent number: 10063033
    Abstract: An edge-emitting semiconductor laser includes: a semiconductor substrate; a first cladding layer having a first refractive index and formed on the semiconductor substrate; an active layer formed on the first cladding layer and having a second refractive index higher than the first refractive index; a Bragg reflector formed on the active layer and in which low-refractive-index layers and high-refractive-index layers each having a thickness larger than ?/4n are alternately laid one on another where ? is an lasing wavelength and n is a refractive index of a medium; a light absorption layer formed on the Bragg reflector and having bandgap energy lower than that of the active layer; and a second cladding layer formed on the light absorption layer and having a third refractive index lower than the second refractive index.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Ayumi Fuchida, Yuichiro Okunuki
  • Patent number: 10063034
    Abstract: An external resonator type light emitting system includes a light source oscillating a semiconductor laser light by itself and a grating device providing an external resonator with the light source. The system performs oscillation in single mode. The light source includes an active layer oscillating the semiconductor laser light. The grating device includes an optical waveguide having an incident face to which the semiconductor laser is incident and an emitting face of emitting an emitting light of a desired wavelength, a Bragg grating formed in the optical waveguide, and a propagating portion provided between the incident face and the Bragg grating. Formulas (1) to (5) are satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Jungo Kondo, Shoichiro Yamaguchi, Takashi Yoshino, Yukihisa Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 10054870
    Abstract: A surface-emitting laser includes an active layer on which a spacer layer is disposed, and a reflection mirror disposed on the spacer layer, including a current constriction layer that is a selectively-oxidized layer having been selectively oxidized. The current constriction layer is disposed at a position of a node of a standing-wave of an electric field of light oscillated at the active layer and is disposed away from an interface between the spacer layer and the reflection mirror by an optical distance of one-fourth of an oscillation wavelength at the active layer. The selectively-oxidized layer is made of AlGaAs. The reflection mirror includes at least one AlGaInP layer contacting the selectively-oxidized layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Shinichi Harada, Naoto Jikutani, Kazuma Izumiya, Yusuke Okura