Patents by Inventor Tracy W. Vatter

Tracy W. Vatter 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).

  • Patent number: 9653872
    Abstract: A ring laser includes a large-core rare-earth-doped fiber ring-connected with a free-space path having an electro-optic switch, output coupler, and intracavity band-pass filter to enforce lasing operation in narrow wavelength range. In some cavity-dumped modes, the laser is configured in a similar manner, except that an output coupler is omitted since the optical power is extracted from the laser cavity by the electro-optic switch itself. The same laser can be configured to operate in Q-switched and/or cavity-dumping modes as well as in hybrid modes (e.g., partial Q-switch, followed by cavity dumping, or even CW). In some embodiments, the laser can be used as, or inject laser light into, a regenerative solid-state amplifier, or a Raman laser, or can be also used to generate visible, ultra-violet, mid-infrared, and far-infrared (THz) radiation via nonlinear wavelength conversion processes. The various embodiments can use a power oscillator or seed-plus-amplifier MOPA configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Fabio Di Teodoro, Tracy W. Vatter, Christopher D. Brooks, Robert W. Royse, Matthias P. Savage-Leuchs
  • Publication number: 20160204564
    Abstract: A ring laser includes a large-core rare-earth-doped fiber ring-connected with a free-space path having an electro-optic switch, output coupler, and intracavity band-pass filter to enforce lasing operation in narrow wavelength range. In some cavity-dumped modes, the laser is configured in a similar manner, except that an output coupler is omitted since the optical power is extracted from the laser cavity by the electro-optic switch itself. The same laser can be configured to operate in Q-switched and/or cavity-dumping modes as well as in hybrid modes (e.g., partial Q-switch, followed by cavity dumping, or even CW). In some embodiments, the laser can be used as, or inject laser light into, a regenerative solid-state amplifier, or a Raman laser, or can be also used to generate visible, ultra-violet, mid-infrared, and far-infrared (THz) radiation via nonlinear wavelength conversion processes. The various embodiments can use a power oscillator or seed-plus-amplifier MOPA configuration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2014
    Publication date: July 14, 2016
    Applicant: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Fabio Di Teodoro, Tracy W. Vatter, Christopher D. Brooks, Robert W. Royse, Matthias P. Savage-Leuchs
  • Patent number: 8750339
    Abstract: A ring laser includes a large-core rare-earth-doped fiber ring-connected with a free-space path having an electro-optic switch, output coupler, and intracavity band-pass filter to enforce lasing operation in narrow wavelength range. In some cavity-dumped modes, the laser is configured in a similar manner, except that an output coupler is omitted since the optical power is extracted from the laser cavity by the electro-optic switch itself. The same laser can be configured to operate in Q-switched and/or cavity-dumping modes as well as in hybrid modes (e.g., partial Q-switch, followed by cavity dumping, or even CW). In some embodiments, the laser can be used as, or inject laser light into, a regenerative solid-state amplifier, or a Raman laser, or can be also used to generate visible, ultra-violet, mid-infrared, and far-infrared (THz) radiation via nonlinear wavelength conversion processes. The various embodiments can use a power oscillator or seed-plus-amplifier MOPA configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Fabio Di Teodoro, Tracy W. Vatter, Christopher D. Brooks, Robert W. Royse, Jr., Matthias P. Savage-Leuchs
  • Patent number: 7876803
    Abstract: A ring laser includes a large-core rare-earth-doped fiber ring-connected with a free-space path having an electro-optic switch, output coupler, and intracavity band-pass filter to enforce lasing operation in narrow wavelength range. In some cavity-dumped modes, the laser is configured in a similar manner, except that an output coupler is omitted since the optical power is extracted from the laser cavity by the electro-optic switch itself. The same laser can be configured to operate in Q-switched and/or cavity-dumping modes as well as in hybrid modes (e.g., partial Q-switch, followed by cavity dumping, or even CW). In some embodiments, the laser can be used as, or inject laser light into, a regenerative solid-state amplifier, or a Raman laser, or can be also used to generate visible, ultra-violet, mid-infrared, and far-infrared (THz) radiation via nonlinear wavelength conversion processes. The various embodiments can use a power oscillator or seed-plus-amplifier MOPA configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Fabio Di Teodoro, Tracy W. Vatter, Christopher D. Brooks, Robert W. Royse, Jr., Matthias P. Savage-Leuchs
  • Patent number: 6922419
    Abstract: A diode-pumped solid-state laser has been invented that provides long Q-switched pulses at high repetition rate with high stability. The laser incorporates Nd:YVO4 as the gain medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2005
    Assignee: Spectra Physics Lasers, Inc.
    Inventors: William L. Nighan, Jr., Mark S. Keirstead, Tracy W. Vatter