Parametric Oscillator Patents (Class 359/330)
  • Patent number: 8599475
    Abstract: A synchronously pumped optical parametric oscillator (OPO) comprises a nonlinear optical medium positioned in an optical resonator (e.g., a ring resonator) and is pumped by a pump laser source. A first arrangement includes a positioning mechanism for translating the nonlinear optical medium so OPO resonant modes propagate through one of multiple longitudinal regions arranged for differing odd orders of quasi-phase-matching. A second arrangement includes a pump fiber laser oscillator stretched to adjust its repetition rate to match that of the OPO. A third arrangement includes a time-domain-multiplexer (TDM) fiber loop between a pump fiber laser oscillator and fiber laser amplification stage(s). The TDM loop increases the pump repetition rate to enable increased average pump power without increased peak power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Microtech Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: Vladimir G. Kozlov, Walter C. Hurlbut
  • Patent number: 8599476
    Abstract: A synchronously pumped optical parametric oscillator (OPO) comprises a nonlinear optical medium positioned in an optical resonator (e.g., a ring resonator) and is pumped by a pump laser source. A first arrangement includes a positioning mechanism for translating the nonlinear optical medium so OPO resonant modes propagate through one of multiple longitudinal regions arranged for differing odd orders of quasi-phase-matching. A second arrangement includes a pump fiber laser oscillator stretched to adjust its repetition rate to match that of the OPO. A third arrangement includes a time-domain-multiplexer (TDM) fiber loop between a pump fiber laser oscillator and fiber laser amplification stage(s). The TDM loop increases the pump repetition rate to enable increased average pump power without increased peak power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Microtech Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: Vladimir G. Kozlov, Walter C. Hurlbut
  • Patent number: 8599474
    Abstract: A synchronously pumped optical parametric oscillator (OPO) comprises a nonlinear optical medium positioned in an optical resonator (e.g., a ring resonator) and is pumped by a pump laser source. A first arrangement includes a positioning mechanism for translating the nonlinear optical medium so OPO resonant modes propagate through one of multiple longitudinal regions arranged for differing odd orders of quasi-phase-matching. A second arrangement includes a pump fiber laser oscillator stretched to adjust its repetition rate to match that of the OPO. A third arrangement includes a time-domain-multiplexer (TDM) fiber loop between a pump fiber laser oscillator and fiber laser amplification stage(s). The TDM loop increases the pump repetition rate to enable increased average pump power without increased peak power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Microtech Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: Vladimir G Kozlov, Walter C. Hurlbut
  • Publication number: 20130314767
    Abstract: A high confinement nonlinear optical fiber is provided along with methods of parametric amplification for use thereof The nonlinear optical fiber may include a plurality of concentric layers which are configured to provide different guiding regimes to low-frequency and high-frequency components through transverse geometry and refractive index profiling, thus reducing waveguide dispersion. The resulting optical fiber provides a parametric device with phase-matching in any spectral region of interest, such that a fiber optic parametric amplifier (FOPA) implementing the optical fiber can amplify in any spectral window of interest. A narrow-band FOPA configured to minimize phase mismatching is also provided for use with the optical fiber, and may be implemented as a light source or a monochromator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2013
    Publication date: November 28, 2013
    Inventors: Ping Piu Kuo, Stojan Radic
  • Publication number: 20130293946
    Abstract: The present invention relates to frequency rulers. At least one embodiment includes a mode locked pump source operated at pulse repetition rate, and a pump output having a pump carrier envelope offset frequency. A nonlinear optical system outputs a frequency ruler spectrum comprising individual frequency modes. The frequency modes may be characterized by a frequency spacing which is an integer multiple of the repetition rate and by distinct ruler carrier envelope offset frequencies which exhibit at least one discontinuity across the frequency output. The ruler carrier envelope offset frequencies are substantially locked to the carrier envelope offset frequency of the pump laser. One preferred embodiment includes a frequency doubled, doubly resonant, non-degenerate OPO (DNOPO), a supercontinuum generation (SC) stage and at least one reference laser arranged downstream from a Tm fiber-based pump source. A plurality of beat signals generated therefrom provide for stabilization of the system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2013
    Publication date: November 7, 2013
    Applicant: IMRA AMERICA, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin E. FERMANN, Ingmar HARTL
  • Publication number: 20130258453
    Abstract: In a quantum entangled photon pair generator selectively generating polarization entangled photon pairs and time-bin entangled photon pairs, an excitation optical pulse shaper receives a linearly polarized optical pulse, and selectively outputs either one of a polarization excitation optical pulse pair to be a seedlight pulse for a polarization entangled photon pair and a consecutive excitation optical pulse pair to be a seedlight pulse for a time-bin entangled photon pair. An optical interferometer receives the polarization excitation optical pulse pair or the consecutive excitation optical pulse pair, and outputs a correlated photon pair forming signal and idler photons through a parametric fluorescence process. A quantum entangled photon pair extractor spatially extracting wavelength components corresponding to photons of the quantum entangled photon pair to output the components as the polarization entangled photon pair or the time-bin entangled photon pair.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Applicant: OKI ELECTRIC INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shin ARAHIRA
  • Patent number: 8542435
    Abstract: Nested-cavity optical parametric oscillator for fast frequency tuning including a source of pump radiation (fp), a non linear crystal situated within two resonant cavities for the signal and complementary radiations of respective optical lengths ls and lc. A doubly resonant resonator for a single pair of longitudinal signal and complementary modes is formed having a crystal of prismatic shape, the crystal (7) being moveable within the plane xz along a direction forming a non zero angle ? with respect to the direction x. The value of ? is fixed so that the movement of the crystal is accompanied by a change in the respective optical lengths ls and lc of the two resonant cavities in a ratio such that the double resonance condition between the longitudinal modes of each cavity is maintained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Office National d'Etudes et de Recherches Aerospatiales (ONERA)
    Inventors: Myriam Raybaut, Bertrand Hardy, Antoine Godard, Michel Lefebvre
  • Patent number: 8543013
    Abstract: Technology for detecting an optical data signal carried in a combined optical signal that comprises a carrier optical signal modulated by the optical data signal and also comprises ASE noise. The proposed optical data detector/receiver is provided with an SHG device adapted to generate a second harmonic optical signal of the carrier optical signal modulated by the data signal. In the signal, generated by the SHG, the ASE noise will be essentially reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: ECI Telecom Ltd.
    Inventors: Uri Mahlab, Michael Gutin
  • Patent number: 8531760
    Abstract: It is provided a wavelength converting device oscillating an idler light having a wavelength of 5 to 10 ?m from a pump light. The wavelength of the idler light is longer than that of the pump light. The wavelength converting device includes a wavelength converting layer 5 of a semiconductor non-linear optical crystal and having a thickness of 50 ?m or smaller. The wavelength converting layer 5 includes a crystal orientation inversion structure wherein crystal orientation of the optical crystal is inverted at a predetermined period and at least one flat main face 5b. The device further includes a Peltier device 2 controlling a temperature of the wavelength converting layer 5; and a clad portion 4 joined with the flat main face 5b of the wavelength converting layer 5 and provided between the wavelength converting layer 5 and the Peltier device 2. The pump light, idler light and signal light satisfies a particular phase matching condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Jungo Kondo, Yuichi Iwata, Tetsuya Ejiri
  • Patent number: 8514482
    Abstract: A terahertz electromagnetic wave generating element can include a generation layer, and a plurality of pairs of layer structures provided on opposite sides thereof. The layer structures are each provided with a first layer, a second layer on the side of the first layer opposite to the generation layer, and a first grating and a second grating, and having a grating period smaller than the wavelength of the terahertz electromagnetic wave to be used. The first and second gratings are configured so that the refractive index of a medium between the first layer and the second layer continuously varies between a first refractive index and a second refractive index. The thickness of the first and second layers and the grating period, and the grating height are determined so that a terahertz electromagnetic wave having a desired bandwidth with respect to a central wavelength of the terahertz electromagnetic wave generated by the generation layer can be generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Nalux Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masato Okano
  • Publication number: 20130208349
    Abstract: A laser assembly includes a semiconductor diode laser having an exit facet and capable of emitting a beam at a selected wavelength from the exit facet, a fast axis collimator optically coupled to the exit facet, the fast axis collimator for receiving the beam emittable from the exit facet and for collimating the beam along the fast axis thereof, and the fast axis collimator has one or more exterior surfaces, such that at least one of the one or more exterior surfaces includes a coating that is highly reflective for reflecting light at wavelengths other than the selected wavelength and anti-reflective for transmitting light at the selected wavelength.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2012
    Publication date: August 15, 2013
    Inventor: David Balsley
  • Patent number: 8498043
    Abstract: An optical parametric oscillator including a nonlinear crystal pumped by a laser source and an optical resonator, including an optical interferometer, which determines a level of output coupling of the oscillator, allowing high stability, broad wavelength tuning, and output power level optimization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Fundacion “Instituto de Ciencias Fotonicas” (ICFO)
    Inventors: Adolfo Esteban-Martin, Majid Ebrahim-Zadeh
  • Patent number: 8488231
    Abstract: A wavelength-multiplexed polarization entangled photon pair generator (1) includes: a pump light source (2); a polarization entangled photon pair generating body (4) on which pump light (3) outputted from the pump light source (2) falls; and a spectrometer (7) on which a wavelength-multiplexed parametric photon pair (5) outputted from the polarization entangled photon pair generating body 4 falls. The polarization entangled photon pair generating body (4) made of a nonlinear optical crystal (11) generates wavelength-multiplexed photon pairs by subjecting the pump light 3 to type II phase matching. As a nonlinear optical crystal 11, lithium tantalate of periodically poled structure (11A) can be used, and as a spectrometer (7), an arrayed-waveguide grating can be used. Wavelength-multiplexed polarization entangled photon pairs (5) can thus be generated with simple equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Japan Science and Technology Agency
    Inventors: Ryosuke Shimizu, Keiichi Edamatsu
  • Patent number: 8482847
    Abstract: A high confinement nonlinear optical fiber is provided along with methods of parametric amplification for use thereof. The nonlinear optical fiber may include a plurality of concentric layers which are configured to provide different guiding regimes to low-frequency and high-frequency components through transverse geometry and refractive index profiling, thus reducing waveguide dispersion. The resulting optical fiber provides a parametric device with phase-matching in any spectral region of interest, such that a fiber optic parametric amplifier (FOPA) implementing the optical fiber can amplify in any spectral window of interest. A narrow-band FOPA configured to minimize phase mismatching is also provided for use with the optical fiber, and may be implemented as a light source or a monochromator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Ping Piu Kuo, Stojan Radic
  • Patent number: 8477410
    Abstract: Pulses from a mode-locked Yb-doped laser are spectrally broadened, and temporally compressed, then frequency-doubled and used to pump an optical parametric oscillator (OPO). The OPO output is tunable over a wavelength range from about 600 nm to about 1100 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Coherent, Inc.
    Inventors: Norman Hodgson, Dmitri Simanovski, Andrei Starodoumov
  • Publication number: 20130155493
    Abstract: Techniques and structure are disclosed for implementing a spatial walk-off compensation mechanism having an integral tilt function. In some embodiments, the mechanism may comprise a tilt-ball mount having an integrated walk-off compensation medium. In some embodiments, the mechanism may be configured to receive an output beam from a non-linear converter (e.g., optical parametric oscillator or OPO) implementing a non-linear medium comprising a bi-refringent material (e.g., zinc germanium phosphide, or ZnGeP2; cadmium silicon phosphide, or CdSiP2). In some embodiments, the walk-off compensation medium may comprise the same material and/or have the same cut as the non-linear medium. In some embodiments, the mechanism may he manually and/or mechanically adjusted/repositioned to reduce beam walk-off and/or to more precisely direct the beam. In some embodiments, the mechanism may be implemented in mid-infrared (MIR) applications. Numerous configurations and variations will be apparent in light of this disclosure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2012
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Applicant: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph M. Owen, Nathan E. Rines
  • Patent number: 8462424
    Abstract: An optical parametric oscillator (OPO) comprises a resonant cavity for signal light, and an optically non-linear medium disposed in the resonant cavity for converting pump light into the signal light, wherein the resonant cavity is arranged so that in operation signal light is repeatedly output from and returned to the optically non-linear medium along a signal light path in a continuously repeating cycle, and the OPO comprises delay means for extending the time taken for signal light output from the optically non-linear medium in operation to return to the optically non-linear medium along the signal light path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Heriot-Watt University
    Inventors: Tobias Paul Lamour, Derryck Telford Reid, Lukasz Kornaszewski
  • Patent number: 8451529
    Abstract: A cA crystal configured to change a frequency of a laser through an optical parametric oscillation (OPO) process and a difference frequency generation (DFG) process is provided. The crystal includes: an OPO-DFG segment that is quasi-periodically poled to yield (i) a conversion of a laser pump light applied thereto, to a first signal and an idler, and (ii) a conversion of a first signal applied thereto, to a second signal and to the idler, by phase-matching a difference frequency generation (DFG) process and an OPO process therein simultaneously, wherein the laser pump light has a frequency that equals a sum of a frequency of the first signal and a frequency of the idler and wherein the frequency of the first signal equals a sum of a frequency of the second signal and the frequency of the idler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignees: Elbit Systems Electro-Optics Elop Ltd., Ramot at Tel Aviv University Ltd.
    Inventors: Ady Arie, Zachary Sacks, Ofer Gayer, Gil Porat
  • Publication number: 20130128340
    Abstract: An optical parametric device comprising a slant-stripe periodically poled nonlinear material that is operable to generate signal in response to interaction with a pump wave, the non-linear interaction being such that the pump and idler waves are collinear and the signal wave is non-collinear relative to the pump and idler waves, wherein the slant-stripe non-linear material is able to generate two idler waves and two signal waves, and the device is adapted to allow for the selection and output coupling of a required one of the two signal waves.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2011
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Applicant: UNIVERSITY COURT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ST ANDREWS
    Inventors: Cameron Francis Rae, Malcolm Harry Dunn, David Alan Walsh
  • Patent number: 8445875
    Abstract: An optical crystal includes a first non-linear optical crystal that generates terahertz waves corresponding to a difference frequency component in incident light with two different wavelengths by a difference frequency generation, and a second non-linear optical crystal that generates terahertz waves corresponding to a difference frequency component in incident light with two different wavelengths by a difference frequency generation, the second non-linear optical crystal being different in material from the first non-linear optical crystal, and the first non-linear optical crystal and the second non-linear optical crystal being disposed in contact or close together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: ARKRAY, Inc.
    Inventor: Hirohisa Uchida
  • Patent number: 8441719
    Abstract: In a photon pair generating apparatus for generating a pair of correlated photons by hyper-parametric scattering, a light-shaping section irradiates an optical resonator with two beams of light of equal wavelength from different directions, and the optical resonator is configured to emit two correlated photons of different wavelengths in one direction as a pair of correlated photons. This makes it possible to provide a photon pair generating apparatus capable of achieving generation of a pair of correlated photons by a simpler configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Osaka Prefecture University Public Corporation
    Inventors: Goro Oohata, Hisaki Oka, Hajime Ishihara
  • Patent number: 8441720
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for non-collinear optical parametric ampliffication (NOPA) are provided. Broadband phase matching is achieved with a non-collinear geometry and a divergent signal seed to provide bandwidth gain. A chirp may be introduced into the pump pulse such that the white light seed is amplified in a broad spectral region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Temple University of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education
    Inventors: Eric Borguet, Oleksandr Isaienko
  • Patent number: 8427738
    Abstract: A waveguide device for frequency mixing or conversion through birefringent phase matching, having two suspended horizontal waveguides with an air-filled horizontal nanoslot between them. The waveguides are formed of a material with a high nonlinear susceptibility, and one waveguide can be n-doped with the other waveguide slab being p-doped. The system can be tuned to operate at different frequencies by varying the nanoslot gap distance by electrostatically actuating the suspended air-clad waveguides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Todd H. Stievater, Jacob B. Khurgin, Doewon Park, Marcel W. Pruessner, William S. Rabinovich
  • Patent number: 8422119
    Abstract: A nonlinear optical system may include optics, a non-linear optical crystal, and a uni-axial focusing element. The non-linear optical crystal is configured to generate an output beam from a non-linear optical interaction with an input beam. The optics are configured to image the input beam to an original input beam waist within the non-linear optical crystal, whereby the output beam has an original output beam waist. The uni-axial focusing element is optically coupled to the non-linear optical crystal. The uni-axial focusing element is configured so that the output beam has a new output beam waist at approximately the same location as the original output beam waist.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Disco Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory L. Keaton, Manuel J. Leonardo, Mark A. Arbore
  • Patent number: 8390921
    Abstract: Seed light pulses and pump light pulses are generated; the seed light pulses are preferably chirped; and both are directed into an enhancement cavity at a full repetition rate. The enhancement cavity defines a closed optical path that contains a nonlinear medium that provides phase matching at a wavelength different from both the central seed wavelength and the central pump wavelength. The generation of the pump light pulses and the seed light pulses are synchronized to pass the seed light pulses through the nonlinear medium simultaneously with the pump light pulses to parametrically amplify the seed light pulses in the nonlinear medium to produce an amplified signal pulse and idler pulse. Increased conversion with low average pump power can be achieved, as well as gain bandwidth enhancement approaching octave-spanning levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Franz X. Kaertner, Aleem M. Siddiqui, Jeffrey Moses, Kyung-Han Hong
  • Patent number: 8384990
    Abstract: Certain embodiments relate to and involve producing broadband phase-locked frequency combs in the near-infrared and mid-infrared spectral ranges. One such embodiment is directed to a system, with a pump laser and an optical parametric oscillator (OPO) resonator, that is configured to produce broad-bandwidth frequency combs in the near-infrared and mid-infrared frequency ranges. The pump laser is configured to produce femtosecond pulses of light having a pulse repetition rate. The optical parametric oscillator (OPO) resonator that is coupled to the pump laser for facilitating synchronous OPO pumping by matching a roundtrip time of the pulses of light within the OPO resonator with the pulse repetition rate of the pump laser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
    Inventors: Konstantin L. Vodopyanov, Samuel T. Wong, Robert L. Byer
  • Patent number: 8384989
    Abstract: A device of oscillating an electromagnetic wave having a frequency of 0.1 THz to 3 THz from pump and idler waves by parametric effect. The device includes a supporting body, an oscillating substrate of a non-linear optical crystal, an adhesive layer adhering the supporting body and the oscillating substrate, and a film for reflecting the electromagnetic wave formed on a surface of the supporting body on the side of the adhesive layer. The oscillating substrate has an upper face, a bottom face and an incident face on which the pump wave is made incident, with the adhesive layer having a refractive index with respect to the pump wave lower than that of the oscillating substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Jungo Kondo, Kenji Aoki, Yuichi Iwata, Tetsuya Ejiri
  • Patent number: 8369003
    Abstract: A single-pass optical parametric amplifier is provided. The single-pass optical parametric amplifier comprises a light source emitting a fundamental wave having a wavelength range; a nonlinear material, which the fundamental wave passes therethrough to form a second harmonic generation wave having a light path; a supercontinuum generator extending the wavelength range of the fundamental wave to form a supercontinuum generation seed; and an optical parametric wavelength transformer transforming the supercontinuum generation seed and the second harmonic generation wave into a signal wave and an idler wave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: National Taiwan University
    Inventors: Yen-Yin Lin, Yan-Wei Tzeng, Chen-Han Huang, Jian-Ming Liu, Shi-Wei Chu
  • Patent number: 8355197
    Abstract: An oscillating device includes an oscillating substrate of a non-linear optical crystal and having an incident face where a pump wave and an idler wave are made incident; a first waveguide provided in the oscillating substrate and between the incident face and an interacting part of the pump wave and idler waves; and a second waveguide provided in the oscillating substrate and between the incident face and the interacting part. The first waveguide guides the pump wave and the second waveguide guides the idler wave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Jungo Kondo, Kenji Aoki, Yuichi Iwata, Tetsuya Ejiri
  • Patent number: 8351109
    Abstract: A nonlinear optic article for difference frequency generation is provided. The article comprises a wave mixer configured to generate a difference frequency mixing signal, the wave mixer comprising a compound made from one or more noncentrosymmetric crystal-glass phase-change materials comprising one or more chalcogenide compounds that are structurally one dimensional and comprise a polymeric 1?[PSe6?] chain or a polymeric 1?[P2Se62?] chain, wherein the one or more chalcogenide compounds are capable of difference frequency generation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Northwestern University
    Inventors: Mercouri G. Kanatzidis, In Chung
  • Patent number: 8351110
    Abstract: An optical-signal processing apparatus includes a polarizer that is provided at an output terminal of an optical fiber, and polarization control units that adjust a first excitation light and a second excitation light input to the optical fiber. The polarization control units adjust polarization states of the first excitation light and the second excitation light so that, when the first excitation light and the second excitation light are input to the polarizer, polarization directions of the first excitation light and the second excitation light are orthogonal to each other, and angular difference between the polarization direction of the first excitation light and the polarization direction of the second excitation light, measured against the polarization main axis of the polarizer, is equal to or smaller than a threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Shigeki Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8331017
    Abstract: An efficient broadband crystal for wavelength conversion, the crystal being a quasi-phase matched non-linear crystal, having an aperiodic poled structure, each period being tuned, and wherein said tuning varies adiabatically along a length of said crystal from a first end wherein said tuning is a strong negative mismatch to a second end wherein said tuning is a strong positive mismatch or vice versa. The crystal is able to provide efficient wavelength conversion over a range of frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Yeda Research and Development Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Haim Suchowski, Yaron Silberberg
  • Publication number: 20120292531
    Abstract: An optical source (10) comprising an optical output (12), a pump optical source (14), an optical splitter arranged to receive an optical signal from the pump optical source and to split the optical signal into a pump signal and a seed pump signal. A seed signal forming apparatus (18) is arranged to receive the seed pump signal at the pump wavelength and to transform the seed pump signal into a seed signal at a seed wavelength. A first microstructured optical fibre (MSF1) (20) is arranged to receive the pump signal and the seed signal. MSF1 is arranged to cause the pump signal to undergo four-wave mixing seeded by the seed signal on transmission through MSF1 such that a first optical signal at a signal wavelength and second optical signal at an idler wavelength are generated. One of the signal wavelength and the idler wavelength are the seed wavelength and one of the first and second optical signals are provided to the optical output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2011
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Inventors: Anatoly Grudinin, John Clowes, Pascal Dupriez, Michael Yarrow
  • Patent number: 8311410
    Abstract: The polarization direction of an optical signal is changed by a polarization controller so as to be orthogonal to a main axis of a polarizer. A control pulse generator generates control pulses from control beam with a wavelength which is different from the wavelength of the optical signal. The optical signal and the control pulse are input to a nonlinear optical fiber. In the nonlinear optical fiber, the optical signal, during a time period in which the optical signal and the control pulse coincide, is amplified with optical parametric amplification around a polarization direction of the control pulse. The optical signal, during the time period in which the optical signal and the control pulse coincide, passes through the polarizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Shigeki Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20120262779
    Abstract: Nested-cavity optical parametric oscillator for fast frequency tuning including a source of pump radiation (fp), a non linear crystal situated within two resonant cavities for the signal and complementary radiations of respective optical lengths ls and lc. A doubly resonant resonator for a single pair of longitudinal signal and complementary modes is formed having a crystal of prismatic shape, the crystal (7) being moveable within the plane xz along a direction forming a non zero angle ? with respect to the direction x. The value of ? is fixed so that the movement of the crystal is accompanied by a change in the respective optical lengths ls and lc of the two resonant cavities in a ratio such that the double resonance condition between the longitudinal modes of each cavity is maintained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Inventors: Myriam Raybaut, Bertrand Hardy, Antoine Godard, Michel Lefebvre
  • Publication number: 20120257270
    Abstract: A high confinement nonlinear optical fiber is provided along with methods of parametric amplification for use thereof. The nonlinear optical fiber may include a plurality of concentric layers which are configured to provide different guiding regimes to low-frequency and high-frequency components through transverse geometry and refractive index profiling, thus reducing waveguide dispersion. The resulting optical fiber provides a parametric device with phase-matching in any spectral region of interest, such that a fiber optic parametric amplifier (FOPA) implementing the optical fiber can amplify in any spectral window of interest. A narrow-band FOPA configured to minimize phase mismatching is also provided for use with the optical fiber, and may be implemented as a light source or a monochromator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2012
    Publication date: October 11, 2012
    Applicant: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
    Inventors: Ping Piu Kuo, Stojan Radic
  • Patent number: 8279517
    Abstract: The invention applies to doubly resonant optical parametric oscillators comprising a non-linear crystal (4) through which pass a pump laser beam (fp), a signal beam (fs), and a complementary beam (fc), and a device (5) that totally or partially reflects said beams emanating from the crystal such that, after reflection, they generate between them a relative phase-shifting value ??ar for a given functioning mode independent of the signal frequency or complementary frequency, and is characterized in that the reflecting device (5) is a metallic minor, or a combination of two scattering mirrors and a multilayer dielectric mirror placed downstream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Office National d'etudes et de Recherches Aerospatiales (Onera)
    Inventors: Michel Lefebvre, Ajmal Mohamed, Antoine Godard
  • Publication number: 20120236395
    Abstract: According to an embodiment of the present invention, an optical parametric oscillator (OPO) (e.g., for a laser transmitting device) includes non-linear optical media, optical beam manipulating elements, and a narrow linewidth filter in the form of a rotatable grating. The grating enables rapid tuning of the oscillator to provide an output beam with a desired wavelength. A pump laser provides a pump laser beam, and the non-linear optical media convert the pump beam into light beams with a signal wavelength and an idler wavelength. The angular positions or orientations of the non-linear optical media relative to a longitudinal propagation axis of the optical parametric oscillator (OPO) are adjustable to effectively tune the resulting signal and idler wavelengths. An output coupler receives the resulting beams from the non-linear optical media, and emits beams with the desired wavelength (signal and/or idler wavelengths).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2011
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Applicant: ITT MANUFACTURING ENTERPRISES, INC.
    Inventor: Timothy M. Shuman
  • Publication number: 20120206792
    Abstract: Tunable light sources having a single optical parametric generation (OPG) source that results in an amplified, narrow bandwidth seed beam and methods of tuning therewith are disclosed. The tunable light source may include a polarization rotator to rotate a pump beam before a first pass through an OPG, and a linear-to-circular polarization device to polarize the pump beam directed back toward the OPG for a second pass therethrough. Alternately, the tunable light source may include an OPG source through which a pump beam passes only in the first direction, a separator that separates a signal beam from the pump beam exiting from the OPG, a narrowband wavelength filter that receives the signal beam and generate a seed beam, and a reflecting surface that directs the seed beam back through the OPG (opposite the first direction) to seed the back part of the pulse of the pulse laser.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2012
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Applicant: UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON
    Inventor: Peter Powers
  • Publication number: 20120200912
    Abstract: Pulses from a mode-locked Yb-doped laser are spectrally broadened, and temporally compressed, then frequency-doubled and used to pump an optical parametric oscillator (OPO). The OPO output is tunable over a wavelength range from about 600 nm to about 1100 nm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2011
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Applicant: Coherent, Inc.
    Inventors: Norman Hodgson, Dmitri Simanovski, Andrei Starodoumov
  • Publication number: 20120194901
    Abstract: A system for efficient generation of THz radiation is provided that includes a triply-resonant nonlinear photonic resonator coupled to at least one near-infrared (NIR) or optical waveguide and to at least one THz waveguide. The energy traveling through the at least one near-infrared (NIR) or optical waveguide is converted to THz radiation inside the triply-resonant photonic resonator via a nonlinear difference frequency generation (DFG) process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2010
    Publication date: August 2, 2012
    Inventors: Jorge Bravo-Abad, Ian B. Burgess, John D. Joannopoulos, Steven G. Johnson, Marko Loncar, Murray W. McCutcheon, Alejandro W. Rodriguez, Marin Soljacic, Yinan Zhang
  • Publication number: 20120182535
    Abstract: As a spatial light modulator 35 is disposed between a wavelength conversion part 315 and an exit surface 311b in a ferroelectric crystal substrate 31, only zeroth-order light which is at a particular wavelength is guided to a substrate while laser light from the wavelength conversion part 315 is being modulated, whereby a pattern corresponding to LSI data is drawn. Further, the spatial light modulator 35 is disposed together with the wavelength conversion parts 314 and 315 inside the ferroelectric crystal substrate 31.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2012
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Inventors: Masahide OKAZAKI, Toshiaki SUHARA
  • Publication number: 20120162748
    Abstract: Compact laser systems are disclosed which include ultrafast laser sources in combination with nonlinear crystals or waveguides. In some implementations fiber based mid-IR sources producing very short pulses and/or mid-IR sources based on a mode locked fiber lasers are utilized. Some embodiments may include an infrared source with an amplifier system comprising, in combination, a Tm fiber amplifier and an Er fiber amplifier. A difference frequency generator receives outputs from the Er and/or Tm amplifier system, and generates an output comprising a difference frequency. Exemplary applications of the compact, high brightness mid-IR light sources include medical applications, spectroscopy, ranging, sensing and metrology.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Applicants: THE TRUSTEES OF LELAND STANFORD UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Martin FERMANN, Jie JIANG, Christopher PHILLIPS, Martin M. FEJER
  • Publication number: 20120154903
    Abstract: A monolithic fixed optical delay generator includes an optical substrate having a front face and a back face. A front coating is on the front face and a back coating is on the back face. The front coating is (i) highly reflective to a first wavelength and highly transmissive to a second wavelength while the back coating is highly reflective to the second wavelength, or (ii) the front coating is highly reflective to the second wavelength and is highly transmissive to the first wavelength while the back coating is highly reflective to the first wavelength.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Applicant: LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION
    Inventor: EDWARD MIESAK
  • Publication number: 20120134013
    Abstract: A cA crystal configured to change a frequency of a laser through an optical parametric oscillation (OPO) process and a difference frequency generation (DFG) process is provides. The crystal includes: an OPO/DFG segment that is quasi-periodically poled to yield (i) a conversion of a pump light applied thereto, to a first signal and an idler, and (ii) a conversion of a first signal applied thereto, to a second signal and to an idler signal, by phase-matching a difference frequency generation (DFG) process and an OPO process therein simultaneously, wherein the pump light has a frequency that equals a sum of a frequency of the first signal and a frequency of the idler and wherein the frequency of the first signal equals a sum of a frequency of the second signal and the frequency of idler.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2010
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Inventors: Ady Arie, Zachary Sacks, Ofer Gayer, Gil Porat
  • Patent number: 8179934
    Abstract: A laser assembly is configured with a frequency conversion laser head operative to shift a fundamental frequency of input light to the desired frequency of an output light. The frequency conversion laser head includes a dump means operative to guide an unconverted output light at the fundamental frequency outside the case of the frequency conversion laser head. The dump means is configured with a guide optics operative to couple the output light at the fundamental frequency to a fiber terminating outside the case of the frequency conversion laser head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: IPG Photonics Corporation
    Inventors: Denis V Gapontsev, Valentin P Gapontsev, Alexey Avdokhin
  • Patent number: 8169692
    Abstract: A waveguide parametric device including a multi-mode waveguide having orientation layers formed in a propagation direction of a signal beam and a pump beam propagating down the waveguide. The orientation layers are oppositely oriented to provide non-linear coupling between the pump beam and the signal beam and have a periodicity that provides quasi-phase matching for a fundamental propagation mode, where the waveguide has a size to accommodate multi-mode wave propagation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Robert R. Rice, Elizabeth Twyford Kunkee, Peter Y. M. Livingston
  • Publication number: 20120095711
    Abstract: There is set forth in one embodiment an apparatus and method for imparting a phase shift to an input waveform for output of a converted waveform. In one embodiment, a phase shift can be provided by four wave mixing of an input waveform and a pump pulse. In one embodiment, there is set forth an apparatus and method for generating a high resolution time domain representation of an input waveform comprising: dispersing the input waveform to generate a dispersed input waveform; subjecting the dispersed input waveform to four wave mixing by combining the dispersed input waveform with a dispersed pump pulse to generate a converted waveform; and presenting the converted waveform to a detector unit. In one embodiment a detector unit can include a spectrometer (spectrum analyzer) for recording of the converted waveform and output of a record representing the input waveform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2009
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Applicant: Cornell University
    Inventors: Mark Foster, Alexander Gaeta, David Geraghty, Michal Lipson, Reza Salem, Amy Foster
  • Patent number: 8149501
    Abstract: Excitation light is split into two components with mutually orthogonal polarization. One component is fed clockwise and the other component is fed counterclockwise into a polarization maintaining loop. A second-order nonlinear optical medium disposed in the loop generates up-converted light from each excitation component by second harmonic generation, and generates down-converted light from the up-converted light by spontaneous parametric down conversion. A polarization manipulation unit manipulates the polarization direction of at least one of the excitation or down-converted components. The clockwise and counterclockwise components of the down-converted light are recombined and output as quantum entangled photon pairs having substantially the same wavelength as the excitation light. The optical components can be optimized for operation at this wavelength without the need to consider the shorter wavelength of the up-converted light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shin Arahira
  • Publication number: 20120062983
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein include a system for producing ultrashort tunable pulses based on ultra broadband OPA or OPG in nonlinear materials. The system parameters such as the nonlinear material, pump wavelengths, quasi-phase matching periods, and temperatures can be selected to utilize the intrinsic dispersion relations for such material to produce bandwidth limited or nearly bandwidth limited pulse compression. Compact high average power sources of short optical pulses tunable in the wavelength range of 1800-2100 nm and after frequency doubling in the wavelength range of 900-1050 nm can be used as a pump for the ultra broadband OPA or OPG. In certain embodiments, these short pump pulses are obtained from an Er fiber oscillator at about 1550 nm, amplified in Er fiber, Raman-shifted to 1800-2100 nm, stretched in a fiber stretcher, and amplified in Tm-doped fiber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2011
    Publication date: March 15, 2012
    Applicant: IMRA AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Gennady Imeshev, Martin Fermann