Patents by Inventor James Kafka
James Kafka has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11165218Abstract: The present application discloses a cavity dumped low repetition rate infrared tunable femtosecond laser source configured to produce pulses of 200 femtoseconds or less with a peak power of four megawatts or more for use in a variety of applications including multi-photon microscopy.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2020Date of Patent: November 2, 2021Assignee: MKS INSTRUMENTS, INC.Inventors: James Kafka, Ching-Yuan Chien, Andrei Florean, Travis Petersen, Alan Petersen
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Publication number: 20200251878Abstract: The present application discloses a cavity dumped low repetition rate infrared tunable femtosecond laser source configured to produce pulses of 200 femtoseconds or less with a peak power of four megawatts or more for use in a variety of applications including multi-photon microscopy.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 31, 2020Publication date: August 6, 2020Applicant: NEWPORT CORPORATIONInventors: James KAFKA, Ching-Yuan CHIEN, Andrei FLOREAN, Travis PETERSEN, Alan Petersen
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Patent number: 10267985Abstract: The present application discloses a double-clad crystal fiber which includes a Yb-doped CALGO core region, a pump cladding region configured to have the core region positioned therein, and a second cladding region configured to have the core region and pump cladding region positioned therein.Type: GrantFiled: December 24, 2015Date of Patent: April 23, 2019Assignee: Newport CorporationInventors: James Kafka, Alan Petersen
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Publication number: 20180039018Abstract: The present application discloses a double-clad crystal fiber which includes a Yb-doped CALGO core region, a pump cladding region configured to have the core region positioned therein, and a second cladding region configured to have the core region and pump cladding region positioned therein.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 24, 2015Publication date: February 8, 2018Applicant: Newport CorporationInventors: James Kafka, Alan Petersen
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Publication number: 20150316831Abstract: A supercontinuum source using diamond as the supercontinuum material is disclosed that works at higher average powers than previous sources. The thermal properties of diamond allow continuum to be generated directly from an oscillator at high repetition rates. The diamond does not need to be translated even at multi-Watt power levels. This diamond continuum source can be based on a single filament and thus possesses excellent stability and phase coherence.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 25, 2013Publication date: November 5, 2015Applicant: Newport CorporationInventors: James Kafka, Alan Petersen
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Publication number: 20080013586Abstract: Methods and devices for narrow band diode pumping of various laser gain materials which for some embodiments reduces or eliminates some thermal problems as well as other optical problems associated with diode pumping of crystalline materials, including anisotropic materials. In some embodiments, a VBG is used to narrow the bandwidth of the pump light from a pump diode source. In some embodiments, pump light from a diode pump source is chosen to have a wavelength centered substantially at an intersection of absorption coefficients for different polarizations of pump light in the laser gain material.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 5, 2006Publication date: January 17, 2008Inventors: David Spence, James Kafka, Alan Petersen
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Publication number: 20070237191Abstract: The present application is directed to various embodiments of laser systems which include a laser oscillator and a pump source configured to produce coherent light at high repetition rates and with short pulse durations, wherein the output from the laser oscillator is then amplified in a laser amplifier, which includes a pump source, the output from the laser amplifier has increased average and peak power, but preserves the short pulse duration and high repetition rate of the laser oscillator.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 30, 2007Publication date: October 11, 2007Inventors: James Kafka, James Clark, David Spence
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Publication number: 20060250677Abstract: Frequency conversion methods are taught wherein non-collinear phase matching configurations may be implemented in non-linear crystals used in three wave mixing processes such that the frequency conversion efficiency is enhanced through walk-off compensation while also maximizing conversion efficiency. The harmonic conversion techniques are especially applicable to sum frequency process, and in particular to third harmonic generation.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 12, 2006Publication date: November 9, 2006Inventors: Hanna Hoffman, David Spence, Alan Petersen, James Kafka
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Publication number: 20060050369Abstract: A pulse width reduction apparatus for an optical system is disclosed and includes at least one birefringent optical element configured to selectively adjust a spectral modulation depth of an optical signal while leaving a spectral transmission function of the optical signal substantially constantType: ApplicationFiled: May 14, 2005Publication date: March 9, 2006Inventors: James Kafka, David Spence, Jianping Zhou, Ching-Yuan Chien, Juerg Aus der Au, Anton Krumm
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Publication number: 20050190809Abstract: A laser device is provided for generating an ultraviolet output. The device comprises a laser having at least one diode-pumped alkali metal vapor gain cell for generating a near infrared laser output, and at least two optically-nonlinear crystals. In one particular embodiment, the laser uses a Rb gas cell and generates radiation at a wavelength of about 199 nm and at least 200 mW of power with a linewidth of less than 10 GHz. In another embodiment, narrow linewidth UV light is generated at 265 nm.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 7, 2005Publication date: September 1, 2005Applicant: SPECTRA-PHYSICS, INC.Inventors: Alan Petersen, James Kafka
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Publication number: 20050157381Abstract: A regenerative amplifier system that is optimized for low-gain gain media is provided. The system is configured to include a minimum number of intra-cavity elements while still eliminating the leakage of the seed pulses from the output beam. In addition, the contrast ratio of the amplified pulses is increased even considering the long build-up time that is required in low-gain regenerative amplifiers. This is accomplished using a single Pockels cell between the oscillator and amplifier to select a single seed pulse for the cavity, instead of using a Faraday isolator. This directs the unwanted seed pulses in a separate direction from the output pulse. When the amplified pulse exits the cavity, it is directed in a direction away from the oscillator by the same Pockels cell. Only one additional Pockels cell and one polarizer are required inside the regenerative amplifier cavity.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 20, 2004Publication date: July 21, 2005Inventors: James Kafka, Jianping Zhou, Kevin Holsinger
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Publication number: 20050157382Abstract: A directly diode-pumped amplifier system is disclosed which produces sub-picosecond pulses with an output power of 2 watts or more. Computer resources are coupled to the amplifier system and are configured to provide control of operating parameters of the amplifier system. An optional second harmonic generator is supplied to increase the contrast ratio and reduce the minimum focal spot size. This amplifier system can be utilized for material processing applications.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 7, 2005Publication date: July 21, 2005Inventors: James Kafka, Jianping Zhou, Juerg Aus-Der-Au, Kevin Holsinger, Ventzislav Stoev
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Publication number: 20050094679Abstract: A laser apparatus includes a modelocked laser system with a high reflector and an output coupler that define an oscillator cavity. An output beam is produced from the oscillator cavity. A gain medium and a modelocking device are positioned in the oscillator cavity. A diode pump source produces a pump beam that is incident on the gain medium. A second harmonic generator is coupled to the oscillator cavity. A third harmonic generator that produces a UV output beam, is coupled to the second harmonic generator. A photonic crystal fiber is provided with a proximal end coupled to the laser system. A delivery device is coupled to a distal portion of the photonic crystal fiber.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 5, 2004Publication date: May 5, 2005Inventors: James Kafka, David Spence
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Publication number: 20050074040Abstract: An optical system includes a laser oscillator or a laser amplifier. The optical system includes a gain medium that is optically coupled to a pump source. A solid cooling element is in physical contact with, but not bonded to, a cooling surface of the gain medium. A mounting apparatus holds the solid cooling element to the gain medium. In a preferred embodiment the gain medium is a thin disk gain medium and the solid cooling-element is made from CVD-diamond.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 3, 2003Publication date: April 7, 2005Inventors: David Spence, Alan Petersen, James Kafka
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Publication number: 20050074041Abstract: An optical system includes a laser oscillator or a laser amplifier. The optical system includes a gain medium that is optically coupled to a pump source. A solid cooling element is in physical contact with a cooling surface of the gain medium. The gain medium and cooling element are held together using a low temperature contacting method. In a one embodiment the gain medium is a thin disk gain medium, the solid cooling-element is made from CVD-diamond, and the low temperature bonding technique is surface activated bonding.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 12, 2004Publication date: April 7, 2005Inventors: Georg Sommerer, Alan Petersen, David Spence, James Kafka
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Patent number: 6016323Abstract: An oscillator system is provided which produces a single mode output from a multimode seed beam and a multimode optical power source. The seed source employed in the oscillator system produces a multimode seed beam that is used to injection seed a multimode optical power source. The optical power source has a short cavity such that the longitudinal modes of the multimode optical power source are sufficiently spaced apart that a mode of the optical power source can be positioned relative to the multimode seed beam such that the beam does not significantly overlap with neighboring longitudinal modes of the optical power source. By positioning a single longitudinal mode to overlap with the seed beam a high energy single longitudinal mode output is produced. The oscillator system preferably includes an output controller loop which serves to center the longitudinal mode output of the optical power source relative to the center of the seed beam.Type: GrantFiled: October 21, 1996Date of Patent: January 18, 2000Assignee: Spectra Physics Lasers, Inc.Inventors: James Kafka, Vincent J. Newell, Michael Watts, James Clark
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Patent number: 5889800Abstract: An oscillator system is provided which produces a single mode output from a multimode seed beam and a multimode optical power source. The seed source employed in the oscillator system produces a multimode seed beam that is used to injection seed a multimode optical power source. The optical power source has a short cavity such that the longitudinal modes of the multimode optical power source are sufficiently spaced apart that a mode of the optical power source can be positioned relative to the multimode seed beam such that the seed beam does not significantly overlap with neighboring longitudinal modes of the optical power source. By positioning a single longitudinal mode to overlap with the seed beam where the seed beam does not significantly overlap with neighboring longitudinal modes of the optical power source, a high energy single longitudinal mode output is produced.Type: GrantFiled: February 6, 1997Date of Patent: March 30, 1999Assignee: Spectra-Physics Lasers, Inc.Inventors: James Kafka, Vincent J. Newell, Michael Watts, James Clark
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Patent number: 5577058Abstract: An oscillator system which produces a single mode output from a multimode seed beam and a multimode optical power source. The seed source employed in the oscillator system produces a multimode seed beam that is used to injection seed a multimode optical power source. The optical power source has a short cavity such that the longitudinal modes of the multimode optical power source are sufficiently spaced apart that a mode of the optical power source can be positioned relative to the multimode seed beam such that the seed beam does not significantly overlap with neighboring longitudinal modes of the optical power source. By positioning a single longitudinal mode to overlap with the seed beam where the seed beam does not significantly overlap with neighboring longitudinal modes of the optical power source, a high energy single longitudinal mode output is produced. The multimode seed beam preferably has a bandwidth, defined as the full width half maximum of the spectral output, of between about 0.025 cm.sup.Type: GrantFiled: September 13, 1994Date of Patent: November 19, 1996Assignee: Spectra-Physics Lasers, Inc.Inventors: James Kafka, Vincent J. Newell, Michael Watts