Abstract: A biological indicator includes: a BI housing; a germinant container inside the BI housing and housing a germinant composition; a germinant releaser configured to release the germinant composition from the germinant container; a germinant releaser support supporting the germinant releaser and configured to bring the germinant releaser into contact with the germinant container upon application of a force to the germinant releaser support or the germinant container; a first spore carrier inside the BI housing, the first spore carrier having a plurality of spores deposited at a first surface thereof; and an imaging window at a first surface of the BI housing. A BI reader is configured to detect and quantify the presence of live spores in the BI, and includes an excitation source, a camera for capturing images of the spores over time, and a processor for analyzing the images to determine the presence of live spores.

Abstract: A biological indicator includes: a BI housing; a germinant container inside the BI housing and housing a germinant composition; a germinant releaser configured to release the germinant composition from the germinant container; a germinant releaser support supporting the germinant releaser and configured to bring the germinant releaser into contact with the germinant container upon application of a force to the germinant releaser support or the germinant container; a first spore carrier inside the BI housing, the first spore carrier having a plurality of spores deposited at a first surface thereof; and an imaging window at a first surface of the BI housing. A BI reader is configured to detect and quantify the presence of live spores in the BI, and includes an excitation source, a camera for capturing images of the spores over time, and a processor for analyzing the images to determine the presence of live spores.

Abstract: A biological indicator includes: a BI housing; a germinant container inside the BI housing and housing a germinant composition; a germinant releaser configured to release the germinant composition from the germinant container; a germinant releaser support supporting the germinant releaser and configured to bring the germinant releaser into contact with the germinant container upon application of a force to the germinant releaser support or the germinant container; a first spore carrier inside the BI housing, the first spore carrier having a plurality of spores deposited at a first surface thereof; and an imaging window at a first surface of the BI housing. A BI reader is configured to detect and quantify the presence of live spores in the BI, and includes an excitation source, a camera for capturing images of the spores over time, and a processor for analyzing the images to determine the presence of live spores.

Abstract: A biological indicator includes: a BI housing; a germinant container inside the BI housing and housing a germinant composition; a germinant releaser configured to release the germinant composition from the germinant container; a germinant releaser support supporting the germinant releaser and configured to bring the germinant releaser into contact with the germinant container upon application of a force to the germinant releaser support or the germinant container; a first spore carrier inside the BI housing, the first spore carrier having a plurality of spores deposited at a first surface thereof; and an imaging window at a first surface of the BI housing. A BI reader is configured to detect and quantify the presence of live spores in the BI, and includes an excitation source, a camera for capturing images of the spores over time, and a processor for analyzing the images to determine the presence of live spores.

Abstract: A biological indicator includes: a BI housing; a germinant container inside the BI housing and housing a germinant composition; a germinant releaser configured to release the germinant composition from the germinant container; a germinant releaser support supporting the germinant releaser and configured to bring the germinant releaser into contact with the germinant container upon application of a force to the germinant releaser support or the germinant container; a first spore carrier inside the BI housing, the first spore carrier having a plurality of spores deposited at a first surface thereof; and an imaging window at a first surface of the BI housing. A BI reader is configured to detect and quantify the presence of live spores in the BI, and includes an excitation source, a camera for capturing images of the spores over time, and a processor for analyzing the images to determine the presence of live spores.

Abstract: Multimode beam combiners include at least one gradient-step index optical fiber in which a refractive index difference at a core/cladding interface is selected to provide a numerical aperture so as to provide stable, uniform beam output. One or more such fibers is formed into a tapered bundle than can be shaped to provide a selected illuminated aperture. The fibers in the bundle can be separated by respective tapered claddings so as to be optically coupled or uncoupled. Illumination systems can include a plurality of such fibers coupled to a plurality of laser diodes or other light sources.

Abstract: Single mode fiber beam combiners are formed by extending single mode fibers through a glass ferrule, and tapering and fusing the fibers and the ferrule. Tapers can be selected so that optical power input to each of the single mode fibers remains partially guided by the single mode fiber cladding, or is guided by the multimode fiber formed by the glass ferrule and the fused fiber claddings. Such combiners can include double clad fibers or actively doped fibers for use in lasers or amplifiers.

Abstract: Multimode beam combiners include at least one gradient-step index optical fiber in which a refractive index difference at a core/cladding interface is selected to provide a numerical aperture so as to provide stable, uniform beam output. One or more such fibers is formed into a tapered bundle than can be shaped to provide a selected illuminated aperture. The fibers in the bundle can be separated by respective tapered claddings so as to be optically coupled or uncoupled. Illumination systems can include a plurality of such fibers coupled to a plurality of laser diodes or other light sources.

Abstract: Scribing operations with reduced substrate heating can be provided by applying multiple optical pulses to a substrate within a time interval that is less than a material recombination time. Typically a series of pulses of durations of 5-200 ps with pulse energies of less than about 0.002 mJ can be applied at rates of about 1 MHz to about 30 MHz. Beam area and beam scanning are configured to provide substantial overlap so that material can be removed by cold ablation.

Abstract: A method of controlling an ultra-short pulse system is described comprising controlling an optical power within the ultra-short pulse system and control-system controlling a width of an optical pulse. In some embodiments, the method also comprises tuning a compressor by controlling a number of passes of the optical pulse through a Bragg grating to control the width of the optical pulse output from the compressor. In other embodiments, the method may comprise tuning a multi-pass stretcher by controlling a number of passes of the optical pulse through a loop of the multi-pass stretcher to control the width of the optical pulse output from the multi-pass stretcher. A method of controlling an ultra-short pulse system may also comprise accessing a control system from a remotely located command station, communicating status information from the control system to the command station, and communicating information from the command station to the control system.

Abstract: An ultra-short pulsed laser system comprises an optical combiner, optical amplifier, optical pulse compressor, and optical separator. The optical combiner is configured to combine a primary optical pulse with a secondary optical signal to generate a combined optical signal. The primary optical pulse and the secondary optical signal have a distinguishable characteristic. The optical amplifier is configured to optically amplify the combined optical signal. The optical pulse compressor is configured to compress at least the primary optical pulse contained within the optically amplified combined optical signal and output a compressed combined optical signal. The optical separator is configured to separate the compressed combined optical signal into an output primary optical pulse and an output secondary optical signal according to the distinguishable characteristic.

Abstract: Scribing operations with reduced substrate heating can be provided by applying multiple optical pulses to a substrate within a time interval that is less than a material recombination time. Typically a series of pulses of durations of 5-200 ps with pulse energies of less than about 0.002 mJ can be applied at rates of about 1 MHz to about 30 MHz. Beam area and beam scanning are configured to provide substantial overlap so that material can be removed by cold ablation.

Abstract: Exemplary systems and methods are directed toward the creation of packets of light. A packet contains one or more pulses of light. In some embodiments, the packet may contain two, ten, 100, 1000, 1E6, or more pulses of light. The packet may be characterized by many of the same properties that are used to describe pulses, such as packet energy, packet width, packet power, packet period (for a periodic series of packets), and peak power of the packet. Packets may also be characterized by other properties describing their shapes. These properties may be described or defined by mathematical functions when the packets have complicated shapes.

Abstract: An ultra-short pulsed laser system comprises an optical combiner, optical amplifier, optical pulse compressor, and optical separator. The optical combiner is configured to combine a primary optical pulse with a secondary optical signal to generate a combined optical signal. The primary optical pulse and the secondary optical signal have a distinguishable characteristic. The optical amplifier is configured to optically amplify the combined optical signal. The optical pulse compressor is configured to compress at least the primary optical pulse contained within the optically amplified combined optical signal and output a compressed combined optical signal. The optical separator is configured to separate the compressed combined optical signal into an output primary optical pulse and an output secondary optical signal according to the distinguishable characteristic.

Abstract: A method of controlling an ultra-short pulse system is described comprising controlling an optical power within the ultra-short pulse system and control-system controlling a width of an optical pulse. In some embodiments, the method also comprises tuning a compressor by controlling a number of passes of the optical pulse through a Bragg grating to control the width of the optical pulse output from the compressor. In other embodiments, the method may comprise tuning a multi-pass stretcher by controlling a number of passes of the optical pulse through a loop of the multi-pass stretcher to control the width of the optical pulse output from the multi-pass stretcher. A method of controlling an ultra-short pulse system may also comprise accessing a control system from a remotely located command station, communicating status information from the control system to the command station, and communicating information from the command station to the control system.

Abstract: The present invention includes an apparatus and the method to scale the average power from high power ultra-short pulsed lasers, while at the same time addressing the issue of effective beam delivery and ablation, by use of an optical amplification system.

Abstract: A chirped pulse amplification (CPA) system and method is described wherein the pulse is stretched using multiple passes through a Bragg grating or compressed using multiple passes through a Bragg grating. A switch may be used to control the number of passes through the Bragg grating, thus, tuning the compressed or the stretched pulse width. The pulse may be directed through an amplifier between the multiple passes through the Bragg grating to apply amplification to the stretched pulse multiple times. The Bragg grating may include a fiber Bragg grating, a volume Bragg grating, or a Bragg waveguide.

Abstract: A diode-pumped laser with a direct edge coupling of a pump beam is provided. The laser includes a microchip laser cavity optically pumped by a laser diode emitting an astigmatic pump beam having a substantially elliptical beam cross-section at an output laser diode facet. The microchip laser cavity is disposed at a substantial distance exceeding 0.001? from the laser diode pump where the astigmatic pump beam has a greatly reduced ellipticity, providing high laser output efficiency without coupling lens element between the laser cavity and the laser diode pump. The pumping arrangement is favourable for single-mode lasing. In some embodiments, the laser cavity includes nonlinear crystal for intra-cavity SHG, a saturable absorber for passive Q-switching and mode locking, and a polarizing prism.

Abstract: The invention relates to the monitoring of polarization mode dispersion (PMD) using heterodyne detection for providing PMD compensation in optical networks, and an apparatus for monitoring PMD. In the present invention, a broadband PMD monitor is disclosed based on heterodyne detection with a tunable laser source which can be fed to a compensator such as an add/drop or other wavelength switch and polarization dependent attenuation means. A signal from a local oscillator is combined with an optical signal and the beat frequency amplitude and phase is analyzed for two orthogonal polarization states simultaneously to obtain a state of polarization. By averaging a plurality of polarization states within a channel, PMD can be estimated for compensation.

Abstract: A laser apparatus is disclosed utilizing a laser diode having a reflective back facet and a front facet having a reflectance of less than about 1% for emitting an optical beam at a fundamental frequency along an optical path. A collimating lens is provided for collimating the optical beam into a collimated beam. A transmission grating is optically coupled to receive the collimated beam and returns a portion of the collimated beam back into the laser diode by means of diffraction through lens and the laser diode front facet. The laser diode reflective back facet and the transmission grating form an extended laser cavity. In operation, a substantial portion of the collimated beam is transmitted through the transmission grating for producing the laser output beam propagating along the optical path.