Patents by Inventor Vladimir Ilchenko

Vladimir Ilchenko 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: 7092591
    Abstract: Tunable optical filters using whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) optical resonators-are described. The WGM optical resonator in a filter exhibits an electro-optical effect and hence is tunable by applying a control electrical signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2006
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Anatoliy Savchenkov, Vladimir Ilchenko, Andrey B. Matsko, Lutfollah Maleki
  • Patent number: 7062131
    Abstract: This application describes whispering gallery modes resonators that are optically coupled to one or two waveguide grating couplers formed on a substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: OEwaves, Inc.
    Inventor: Vladimir Ilchenko
  • Patent number: 7050212
    Abstract: Techniques and devices using whispering gallery mode (WGM) optical resonators, where the optical materials of the WGM resonators exhibit an electro-optical effect to perform optical modulation. Examples of actively mode-locked lasers and other devices are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2006
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Andrey B. Matsko, Vladimir Ilchenko, Anatoliy Savchenkov, Lutfollah Maleki
  • Patent number: 7043117
    Abstract: This application describes examples and implementations of optical devices and techniques based on use of whispering gallery mode (WGM) optical resonators that have nonlinear optical materials in multiple sectors where nonlinear coefficients of two adjacent sectors are oppositely poled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Andrey B. Matsko, Vladimir Ilchenko, Lutfollah Maleki, Anatoliy Savchenkov
  • Patent number: 7024069
    Abstract: Devices with two or more coupled resonators to produce narrow spectral responses due to interference of signals that transmit through the resonators and techniques for operating such devices to achieve certain operating characteristics are described. The devices may be optical devices where optical resonators such as whispering gallery mode resonators may be used. In one implementation, at least one of the coupled optical resonators is a tunable resonator and is tuned to change its resonance frequency to tune the spectral response of the device. The described devices and techniques may be applied in optical filters, optical delays, optical waveform generators, and other applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Anatoliy Savchenkov, Lutfollah Maleki, Andrey B. Matsko, Vladimir Ilchenko
  • Patent number: 6987914
    Abstract: Optical filters having at least two coupled whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) optical resonators to produce a second order or higher order filter function with a desired spectral profile. At least one of the coupled WGM optical resonators may be tunable by a control signal to adjust the filtering function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2006
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Anatoliy Savchenkov, Vladimir Ilchenko, Lutfollah Maleki, Timothy A. Handley
  • Publication number: 20050286602
    Abstract: Integrated opto-electronic oscillators that use micro resonators in the optical section of the opto-electronic feedback loop.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2005
    Publication date: December 29, 2005
    Inventors: Deana Gunn, Nikolai Morozov, Vladimir Ilchenko, Dmitri Kossakovski, Mark Henderson
  • Publication number: 20050220411
    Abstract: This application describes whispering gallery modes resonators made of electro-optic materials that are optically coupled to one or two waveguide couplers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2005
    Publication date: October 6, 2005
    Inventor: Vladimir Ilchenko
  • Patent number: 6943934
    Abstract: Whispering gallery mode (WGM) optical resonators comprising nonlinear optical materials, where the nonlinear optical material of a WGM resonator includes a plurality of sectors within the optical resonator and nonlinear coefficients of two adjacent sectors are oppositely poled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2005
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Vladimir Ilchenko, Andrey B. Matsko, Anatoliy Savchenkov, Lutfollah Maleki
  • Publication number: 20050185681
    Abstract: Devices and techniques for achieving continuous tuning of coupled opto-electronic oscillators with signal filtering in RF or microwave frequencies by optical filtering via two optical resonators in two separate optical paths.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2004
    Publication date: August 25, 2005
    Inventors: Vladimir Ilchenko, Danny Eliyahu
  • Publication number: 20050175358
    Abstract: RF and microwave devices and techniques are disclosed for processing RF and microwave signals by using (1) photonic or optical components and (2) RF and microwave components. In some implementations, a part of the processing is performed in the RF and microwave domain such as applying a microwave or RF input signal to control an optical modulator ,and another part of the processing is performed in the optical domain such as optical filtering of the modulated optical beam to select desired microwave or RF spectral components. The frequency of a selected spectral component can be tuned by either tuning the frequency of the optical beam that is modulated by the optical modulator or a filter that is used to filter modulated optical beam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2005
    Publication date: August 11, 2005
    Inventors: Vladimir Ilchenko, Lutfollah Maleki
  • Patent number: 6922497
    Abstract: Whispering gallery mode (WGM) optical resonators formed of radiation-sensitive materials to allow for permanent tuning of their resonance frequencies in a controlled manner. Two WGM resonators may be cascaded to form a composite filter to produce a second order filter function where at least one WGM resonator is formed a radiation-sensitive material to allow for proper control in the overlap of the two filter functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2005
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Anatoliy Savchenkov, Lutfollah Maleki, Vladimir Ilchenko, Timothy A. Handley
  • Publication number: 20050147355
    Abstract: This application describes whispering gallery modes resonators that are optically coupled to one or two waveguide grating couplers formed on a substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2004
    Publication date: July 7, 2005
    Inventor: Vladimir Ilchenko
  • Publication number: 20050128566
    Abstract: Tunable optical filters using whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) optical resonators-are described. The WGM optical resonator in a filter exhibits an electro-optical effect and hence is tunable by applying a control electrical signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2004
    Publication date: June 16, 2005
    Inventors: Anatoliy Savchenkov, Vladimir Ilchenko, Andrey Matsko, Lutfollah Maleki
  • Publication number: 20050123306
    Abstract: Devices and techniques for achieving signal filtering in RF or microwave frequencies by optical filtering via two optical resonators in two separate optical paths. One optical resonator is tunable to tune the filtering in RF or microwave frequencies. Tunable opto-electronic oscillators may be constructed based on described filters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2004
    Publication date: June 9, 2005
    Inventors: Vladimir Ilchenko, Lutfollah Maleki
  • Patent number: 6901189
    Abstract: Whispering gallery mode optical resonators which have spatially-graded refractive indices. In one implementation, the refractive index spatially increases with a distance from an exterior surface of such a resonator towards an interior of the resonator to produce substantially equal spectral separations for different whispering gallery modes. An optical coupler may be used with such a resonator to provide proper optical coupling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Anatoliy Savchenkov, Lutfollah Maleki, Vladimir Ilchenko, Andrey B. Matsko
  • Patent number: 6879752
    Abstract: This application teaches systems and techniques that use an optical coupler and a film for evanescently coupling light to or from an optical or electro-optical device. The film is connected to the coupler surface as a spacer for setting the distance between the optical coupler and the optical or electro-optical device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: OEwaves, Inc.
    Inventors: Vladimir Ilchenko, Dmitri Kossakovski
  • Publication number: 20050074200
    Abstract: Devices with two or more coupled resonators to produce narrow spectral responses due to interference of signals that transmit through the resonators and techniques for operating such devices to achieve certain operating characteristics are described. The devices may be optical devices where optical resonators such as whispering gallery mode resonators may be used. In one implementation, at least one of the coupled optical resonators is a tunable resonator and is tuned to change its resonance frequency to tune the spectral response of the device. The described devices and techniques may be applied in optical filters, optical delays, optical waveform generators, and other applications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2004
    Publication date: April 7, 2005
    Inventors: Anatoliy Savchenkov, Lutfollah Maleki, Andrey Matsko, Vladimir Ilchenko
  • Patent number: 6873631
    Abstract: Systems and techniques of incorporating an optical resonator in an optical part of a feedback loop in opto-electronic oscillators. This optical resonator provides a sufficiently long energy storage time and hence to produce an oscillation of a narrow linewidth and low phase noise. Certain mode matching conditions are required. For example, the mode spacing of the optical resonator is equal to one mode spacing, or a multiplicity of the mode spacing, of an opto-electronic feedback loop that receives a modulated optical signal and to produce an electrical oscillating signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Xiaotian Steve Yao, Lutfollah Maleki, Vladimir Ilchenko
  • Publication number: 20050063034
    Abstract: This application describes use of an opto-electronic feedback in oscillators to suppress phase noise based on the high Q factor of the opto-electronic feedback.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2004
    Publication date: March 24, 2005
    Inventors: Lutfollah Maleki, Vladimir Ilchenko