Patents by Inventor Martin H. Muendel
Martin H. Muendel 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).
-
Publication number: 20160291443Abstract: A cascaded harmonic generator, for cascaded optical harmonic generation from an optical beam provided by a laser source, may include a second harmonic generator to generate a second harmonic optical beam based on a residual beam associated with the optical beam. The cascaded harmonic generator may include a third harmonic generator to generate a third harmonic optical beam based on the second harmonic optical beam and the optical beam. The third harmonic generator may be positioned in an optical path upstream from the second harmonic generator. A harmonic generator delay time, associated with the optical path, may be approximately equal to, or may be an approximate integer multiple of, a laser source round-trip time.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 8, 2016Publication date: October 6, 2016Inventors: James J. MOREHEAD, Loren A. EYRES, Bertram C. JOHNSON, Martin H. MUENDEL, Derek A. TUCKER
-
Publication number: 20160231564Abstract: An aberration corrector and a method to reducing a spherical aberration are disclosed. The aberration corrector has a radial, rotationally symmetric variation of refractive index including a term varying in proportion to a fourth degree of a distance from the optical axis. Since the spherical aberration causes a wavefront deviation proportional to the fourth degree of distance from the optical axis, the spherical aberration can be reduced by the aberration corrector when its thickness causes the exact amount of the phase delay corresponding to the wavefront deviation, but with an opposite sign.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 21, 2016Publication date: August 11, 2016Inventors: Xiuquan Ma, Dmitriy Panasenko, Martin H. Muendel
-
Patent number: 9397464Abstract: A modal instability of a fiber amplifier may be reduced by coupling, e.g. splicing, a length of passive multimode optical fiber to an active multimode optical fiber of the fiber amplifier. Upon launching light into the passive optical fiber, some higher order transversal modes may be excited in the passive optical fiber. The higher-order modes may interfere with the fundamental mode in the passive multimode optical fiber. However, the intermodal interference of the launched modes does not cause thermal gradients in the passive optical fiber. Upon propagation in the passive multimode optical fiber, the excited optical modes may lose mutual coherence, causing a reduction of contrast of the intermodal interference pattern along the doped core of the active optical fiber, effectively reducing modal instability in the active optical fiber.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2014Date of Patent: July 19, 2016Assignee: Lumentum Operations LLCInventors: Martin H. Muendel, Xiuquan Ma, Kai-Hsiu Liao, Matthew Kutsuris
-
Patent number: 9391425Abstract: A beam combiner may include source elements, each configured to output a beam of light locked at a center wavelength different from center wavelengths of other source elements. The beam combiner may include a dispersive element configured to combine the beams of light into a combined beam, and a beam separator configured to separate the combined beam into an output beam and a locking beam. The beam combiner may include a spatial filter configured to prevent crosstalk within the locking beam, and to redirect the locking beam to the source elements. The dispersive element may be configured to disperse the locking beam into constituent wavelength beams. Each constituent wavelength beam may be directed to a respective one of the source elements for locking that source element at its center wavelength, and may correspond in wavelength to the center wavelength of the respective source element.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 2015Date of Patent: July 12, 2016Assignee: Lumentum Operations LLCInventors: Martin H. Muendel, Xiuquan Ma
-
Patent number: 9377593Abstract: Alignment of a multimode waveguide to a source of light or another waveguide is evaluated using a multi-wavelength light source and a modal decomposition processing of an intensity profile of a waveguide output beam, wherein inter-modal interference is averaged out over wavelength. Fitting a superposition of mode intensity profiles to a wavelength-averaged intensity profile of the output beam provides information about the modal composition of the output beam, which may be used to assess the alignment of the multimode waveguide with respect to the input light beam, and to provide a feedback for guiding a waveguide alignment process.Type: GrantFiled: November 19, 2014Date of Patent: June 28, 2016Assignee: Lumentum Operations LLCInventors: Xiuquan Ma, Hongbo Yu, Martin H. Muendel
-
Patent number: 9377667Abstract: Cascaded optical harmonic generators and methods for cascaded optical harmonic generation are disclosed. Relative disposition of individual harmonic generators of a cascaded harmonic generator in an optical path of the fundamental optical beam may be reversed. In a third harmonic generator, the fundamental optical beam may enter the third harmonic crystal first, and the second harmonic crystal second. When the fundamental optical beam enters the third harmonic crystal first, the fundamental light may remain non-depleted by second harmonic generation process.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 2015Date of Patent: June 28, 2016Assignee: Lumentum Operations LLCInventors: Martin H. Muendel, James J. Morehead
-
Publication number: 20160181756Abstract: A modal instability of a fiber amplifier may be reduced by coupling, e.g. splicing, a length of passive multimode optical fiber to an active multimode optical fiber of the fiber amplifier. Upon launching light into the passive optical fiber, some higher order transversal modes may be excited in the passive optical fiber. The higher-order modes may interfere with the fundamental mode in the passive multimode optical fiber. However, the intermodal interference of the launched modes does not cause thermal gradients in the passive optical fiber. Upon propagation in the passive multimode optical fiber, the excited optical modes may lose mutual coherence, causing a reduction of contrast of the intermodal interference pattern along the doped core of the active optical fiber, effectively reducing modal instability in the active optical fiber.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 19, 2014Publication date: June 23, 2016Inventors: Martin H. MUENDEL, Xiuquan MA, Kai-Hsiu LIAO, Matthew KUTSURIS
-
Publication number: 20160116679Abstract: An optical delivery waveguide for a material laser processing system includes a small lens at an output end of the delivery waveguide, transforming laser beam divergence inside the waveguide into a spot size after the lens. By varying the input convergence angle and/or launch angle of the laser beam launched into the waveguide, the output spot size can be continuously varied, thus enabling a continuous and real-time laser spot size adjustment on the workpiece, without having to replace the delivery waveguide or a process head. A divergence of the laser beam can also be adjusted dynamically and in concert with the spot size.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 30, 2015Publication date: April 28, 2016Inventors: Martin H. MUENDEL, Dahv KLINER
-
Publication number: 20160111850Abstract: A beam combiner may include source elements, each configured to output a beam of light locked at a center wavelength different from center wavelengths of other source elements. The beam combiner may include a dispersive element configured to combine the beams of light into a combined beam, and a beam separator configured to separate the combined beam into an output beam and a locking beam. The beam combiner may include a spatial filter configured to prevent crosstalk within the locking beam, and to redirect the locking beam to the source elements. The dispersive element may be configured to disperse the locking beam into constituent wavelength beams. Each constituent wavelength beam may be directed to a respective one of the source elements for locking that source element at its center wavelength, and may correspond in wavelength to the center wavelength of the respective source element.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 15, 2015Publication date: April 21, 2016Inventors: Martin H. MUENDEL, Xiuquan MA
-
Patent number: 9250390Abstract: An optical delivery waveguide for a material laser processing system includes a small lens at an output end of the delivery waveguide, transforming laser beam divergence inside the waveguide into a spot size after the lens. By varying the input convergence angle and/or launch angle of the laser beam launched into the waveguide, the output spot size can be continuously varied, thus enabling a continuous and real-time laser spot size adjustment on the workpiece, without having to replace the delivery waveguide or a process head. A divergence of the laser beam can also be adjusted dynamically and in concert with the spot size.Type: GrantFiled: December 6, 2012Date of Patent: February 2, 2016Assignees: Lumentum Operations LLC, Amada Holdings Co., Ltd.Inventors: Martin H. Muendel, Dahv Kliner
-
Patent number: 9244274Abstract: An aberration corrector and a method to reducing a spherical aberration are disclosed. The aberration corrector has a radial, rotationally symmetric variation of refractive index including a term varying in proportion to a fourth degree of a distance from the optical axis. Since the spherical aberration causes a wavefront deviation proportional to the fourth degree of distance from the optical axis, the spherical aberration can be reduced by the aberration corrector when its thickness causes the exact amount of the phase delay corresponding to the wavefront deviation, but with an opposite sign.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2013Date of Patent: January 26, 2016Assignee: Lumentum Operations LLCInventors: Xiuquan Ma, Dmitriy Panasenko, Martin H. Muendel
-
Publication number: 20150160468Abstract: An aberration corrector and a method to reducing a spherical aberration are disclosed. The aberration corrector has a radial, rotationally symmetric variation of refractive index including a term varying in proportion to a fourth degree of a distance from the optical axis. Since the spherical aberration causes a wavefront deviation proportional to the fourth degree of distance from the optical axis, the spherical aberration can be reduced by the aberration corrector when its thickness causes the exact amount of the phase delay corresponding to the wavefront deviation, but with an opposite sign.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 9, 2013Publication date: June 11, 2015Applicant: JDS Uniphase CorporationInventors: Xiuquan Ma, Dmitriy Panasenko, Martin H. Muendel
-
Patent number: 9042423Abstract: Improved brightness and feedback multi-emitter laser diode modules and methods are provided. A plurality of laser diode emitters emit broad-area light beams in a beam direction. In cross-section, each beam is broad in its slow axis and narrow in its fast axis. Groups of downstream optical components collimate, shape, stack and direct the beams along a light path towards a beam spot (which may be fiber-coupled). After collimating, stacking and directing, the beams are Fourier transformed in the fast-axis through a lens feature having a fast-axis focal length less than about 3 millimeters. In some embodiments, the fast-axis focal length is between about 0.1 and 2.0 millimeters. Astigmatism may be introduced between the fast axis and the slow axis in the beams upstream of the lens feature and in accordance with the fast axis focal length of the lens feature. The emitters may receive feedback including wavelength locking feedback.Type: GrantFiled: June 27, 2013Date of Patent: May 26, 2015Assignee: JDS Uniphase CorporationInventor: Martin H. Muendel
-
Publication number: 20150139638Abstract: Alignment of a multimode waveguide to a source of light or another waveguide is evaluated using a multi-wavelength light source and a modal decomposition processing of an intensity profile of a waveguide output beam, wherein inter-modal interference is averaged out over wavelength. Fitting a superposition of mode intensity profiles to a wavelength-averaged intensity profile of the output beam provides information about the modal composition of the output beam, which may be used to assess the alignment of the multimode waveguide with respect to the input light beam, and to provide a feedback for guiding a waveguide alignment process.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 19, 2014Publication date: May 21, 2015Inventors: Xiuquan MA, Hongbo Yu, Martin H. Muendel
-
Patent number: 8947768Abstract: The invention provides fiber-optic light sources such as cladding-pumped master oscillator—power amplifier (MOPA) systems which use double-clad optical fibers (DCF). The inner cladding of the first DCF used in the master oscillator section has a circular cross-section in order to enable the formation of low loss optical splices in the integrated MOPA structure. The inner cladding of the second DCF in the output amplifier section has a shaped non-circular cross-section in order to enhance the absorption of the pump light in the doped core of the second DCF.Type: GrantFiled: May 13, 2013Date of Patent: February 3, 2015Assignee: JDS Uniphase CorporationInventors: Dahv Kliner, Martin H. Muendel
-
Publication number: 20150003484Abstract: Improved brightness and feedback multi-emitter laser diode modules and methods are provided. A plurality of laser diode emitters emit broad-area light beams in a beam direction. In cross-section, each beam is broad in its slow axis and narrow in its fast axis. Groups of downstream optical components collimate, shape, stack and direct the beams along a light path towards a beam spot (which may be fiber-coupled). After collimating, stacking and directing, the beams are Fourier transformed in the fast-axis through a lens feature having a fast-axis focal length less than about 3 millimeters. In some embodiments, the fast-axis focal length is between about 0.1 and 2.0 millimeters. Astigmatism may be introduced between the fast axis and the slow axis in the beams upstream of the lens feature and in accordance with the fast axis focal length of the lens feature. The emitters may receive feedback including wavelength locking feedback.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 27, 2013Publication date: January 1, 2015Applicant: JDS Uniphase CorporationInventor: Martin H. Muendel
-
Patent number: 8908263Abstract: A very large more area active double clad optical waveguide doped with Nd3+ at a concentration of at least 0.1% by weight can be used to effectively amplify light at a wavelength of between 1050 nm and 1120 nm. At a doping concentration sufficient to provide a net optical absorption of at least 3 dB/m for the pump light at the wavelength of 795 to 815 nm or 883 to 887 nm, Nd3+ operates under much lower inversion levels than Yb3+. Due to the lower inversion levels, the Nd3+ doped waveguide is subject to reduced pump bleaching or photodarkening.Type: GrantFiled: June 13, 2012Date of Patent: December 9, 2014Assignee: JDS Uniphase CorporationInventor: Martin H. Muendel
-
Patent number: 8879589Abstract: A beam-stabilized laser system using optical frequency conversion in a nonlinear optical crystal is disclosed. An optimal phase-matching angle in the crystal depends on both wavelength and temperature. If the crystal temperature changes, the optimal phase-matching direction will change as well. A different wavelength can be selected so that the optimal phase-matching occurs along the original beam path and returns the output beam to the original direction. Thus, a central wavelength of the laser beam illuminating the nonlinear optical crystal can be slightly adjusted to compensate for the pointing drift. Since the illuminating wavelength can normally be tuned much faster than the crystal temperature, a more agile and responsive pointing stabilization can be achieved.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 2013Date of Patent: November 4, 2014Assignee: JDS Uniphase CorporationInventors: Martin H. Muendel, Loren Eyres
-
Publication number: 20140211818Abstract: A cladding stripper includes a plurality of transversal notches or grooves in the outer surface of an exposed inner cladding of a double clad optical fiber. Position and orientation of the notches can be selected to even out cladding light release along the cladding light stripper, enabling more even temperature distributions due to released cladding light. The notches on the optical fiber can be made with a laser ablation system.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 28, 2014Publication date: July 31, 2014Inventors: Kai-Chung HOU, Dahv Kliner, Martin H. Muendel, Jeremy Weston
-
Patent number: 8620121Abstract: An expanded-beam all-glass retroreflector for a fiber laser cavity. The retroreflector consists of a section of a tapered double-clad fiber for beam expansion, e.g. a tapered section of the laser fiber itself, or a piece of coreless fiber spliced to the laser fiber, and a reflective surface for reflection of the expanded beam back into laser cavity through the tapered fiber section.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 2008Date of Patent: December 31, 2013Assignee: JDS Uniphase CorporationInventor: Martin H. Muendel