Absorption Type Patents (Class 372/11)
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Patent number: 11289872Abstract: Included are: a first dielectric multilayer film (15) for transmitting a wavelength band including a wavelength of signal light (2) and reflecting first excitation light (4), the first dielectric multilayer film (15) being disposed on one of two end surfaces of a core (11), a first inner cladding (12), a first outer cladding (13), and a second outer cladding (14); and a second dielectric multilayer film (12) for transmitting a wavelength band including the wavelength of the signal light (2) and reflecting the first excitation light (4), the second dielectric multilayer film (12) being disposed on the other one of the two end surfaces.Type: GrantFiled: December 28, 2017Date of Patent: March 29, 2022Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATIONInventors: Kenichi Hirosawa, Fumio Shohda, Shumpei Kameyama
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Patent number: 11101615Abstract: Apparatus for modelocking a fiber laser cavity includes two variable retarder assemblies and a polarizing element. The variable retarder assemblies each have two electronically addressable elements and one fixed element. The first variable retarder assembly prepares a polarization state suitable for NPE modelocking to be launched into the fiber, and the second variable retarder assembly controls the polarization state after exiting the fiber, before being incident on the polarizing element. A control system controls the electronically addressable phase retarders in order to create and modify conditions for modelocking the fiber laser.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2017Date of Patent: August 24, 2021Assignee: Thorlabs, Inc.Inventors: David Winters, Matthew S. Kirchner, Sterling J. Backus
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Patent number: 10992108Abstract: A collinear T-cavity VECSEL system generating intracavity Hermite-Gaussian modes at multiple wavelengths, configured to vary each of these wavelengths individually and independently. A mode converter element and/or an astigmatic mode converter is/are aligned intracavity to reversibly convert the Gaussian modes to HG modes to Laguerre-Gaussian modes, the latter forming the system output having any of the wavelengths provided by the spectrum resulting from nonlinear frequency-mixing intracavity (including generation of UV, visible, mid-IR light). The laser system delivers Watt-level output power in tunable high-order transverse mode distribution.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 2019Date of Patent: April 27, 2021Assignee: Arizona Board of Regents on Behalf of the University of ArizonaInventors: Mahmoud Fallahi, Ewan Wright, Chris Hessenius
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Patent number: 10868402Abstract: A passively Q-switched solid-state laser includes a resonator (1) with an active laser material (2) and a decoupling end mirror (6) for decoupling laser pulses that have a pulse duration of less than 1 ns from the resonator (1), an optical fiber (13), into which the laser pulses decoupled from the decoupling end mirror (6) are injected, and a chirped volume Bragg grating (17), at which the laser pulses are reflected after they have passed through the optical fiber (13) for shortening the pulse duration. The pulse duration after the reflection on the chirped volume Bragg grating (17) is less than 30 ps. The active laser material (2) is Nd:YAG and a saturable absorber (3) that is formed from Cr:YAG and has a transmission in the unsaturated state of less than 50% is also arranged in the resonator. The length (a) of the resonator (1) is from 1 mm to 10 mm and the laser pulses decoupled at the decoupling end mirror (6) have a pulse energy from 1 ?J to 200 ?J.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 2019Date of Patent: December 15, 2020Assignee: MONTFORT Laser GmbHInventor: Daniel Kopf
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Patent number: 10804672Abstract: A monolithic laser cavity (100, 200, 300, 400) for generating an output series of pulses (37) based on an input pump signal 36. This is achieved by a novel cavity design that utilizes a transparent, low-loss, and near zero-dispersion spacer (38) to form an optical resonator without the use of wave-guiding effects. The pulse forming material (32), optical elements (10-16, 30, 31, 33), and the laser gain medium (34) are in direct contact with the spacer and/or each other without any free-space sections between them. Therefore, the light inside the laser cavity never travels through free space.Type: GrantFiled: January 16, 2017Date of Patent: October 13, 2020Assignee: The Regents of the University of Colorado, a bodyInventor: Thomas R Schibli
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Patent number: 10734779Abstract: The present application is applicable to laser technology field and provides a dual-wavelength synchronous pulsed fiber laser based on rare earth ions co-doped fiber, which includes a continuous light LD pumping source, a rare earth ions co-doped fiber and two resonant cavities. Sensitizing ions in the rare earth ions co-doped fiber absorb the pumping light and radiate laser of one wavelength. Meanwhile, sensitized ions in the rare earth ions co-doped fiber radiate laser of another wavelength. Laser generated by sensitizing ions is subjected to Q-switching or mode locking with the saturable absorber inserted in the cavity to generate pulsed laser. Generation and partial reabsorption for the pulsed laser modulates gain of the laser radiated by sensitized ions periodically and generates synchronous pulsed laser, thereby implementing a dual-wavelength synchronous pulsed fiber laser.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 2019Date of Patent: August 4, 2020Assignee: SHENZHEN UNIVERSITYInventors: Chunyu Guo, Weiqi Liu, Shuangchen Ruan, Jun Yu, Yewang Chen, Ruoheng Luo, Yihuai Zhu
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Patent number: 10511145Abstract: A collinear T-cavity VECSEL system generating intracavity Hermite-Gaussian modes at multiple wavelengths, configured to vary each of these wavelengths individually and independently. A mode converter element and/or an astigmatic mode converter is/are aligned intracavity to reversibly convert the Gaussian modes to HG modes to Laguerre-Gaussian modes, the latter forming the system output having any of the wavelengths provided by the spectrum resulting from nonlinear frequency-mixing intracavity (including generation of UV, visible, mid-IR light). The laser system delivers Watt-level output power in tunable high-order transverse mode distribution.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2017Date of Patent: December 17, 2019Assignee: Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of ArizonInventors: Mahmoud Fallahi, Ewan Wright, Chris Hessenius
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Patent number: 10348049Abstract: Provided is a light source device including a fiber laser, an amplifier, and a nonlinear fiber. Group delay dispersions D1 and D2 are a positive value, the light velocity in a vacuum is denoted as c, a spectral full width at half maximum of the pulse light is denoted as ??, the center wavelength of the pulse light is denoted as ?, a coefficient based on a shape of the pulse light is denoted as a, a value of the spectral full width at half maximum ?? at which a function T(??): T ? ( ?? ) = ( a × ? 2 c × ?? ) ? 1 + [ ( D ? ? 1 + D ? ? 2 ) ? ( c × ?? a × ? 2 ) 2 ] 2 is the minimum is denoted as ??_min, and ?? at which a change amount of T(??) when ?? increases by 1 nm of ? becomes ?3 dB is denoted as ??_3 dB, and ?? satisfies ??_3 dB??????_min×2.Type: GrantFiled: December 2, 2016Date of Patent: July 9, 2019Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Hideo Iwase
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Patent number: 10324286Abstract: A device is provided for processing a light/optical radiation including at least two reflective optical elements defining a multi-pass cavity so that at least one of the optical elements reflects the light radiation at least twice, at at least two different reflection positions, and including at least one element, called a corrective element, having at least one position, called a corrective position, producing a reflection or a transmission of the optical radiation, and the surface of which is irregular so that the spatial phase profile of the corrective position has a different phase shift for several different reflection/transmission points of the corrective position.Type: GrantFiled: January 15, 2015Date of Patent: June 18, 2019Assignee: CAILABSInventors: Jean-François Morizur, Guillaume Labroille, Nicolas Treps
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Patent number: 10283928Abstract: Apparatus and methods for producing ultrashort optical pulses are described. A high-power, solid-state, passively mode-locked laser can be manufactured in a compact module that can be incorporated into a portable instrument. The mode-locked laser can produce sub-50-ps optical pulses at a repetition rates between 200 MHz and 50 MHz, rates suitable for massively parallel data-acquisition. The optical pulses can be used to generate a reference clock signal for synchronizing data-acquisition and signal-processing electronics of the portable instrument.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2017Date of Patent: May 7, 2019Assignee: Quantum-Si IncorporatedInventors: Jonathan M. Rothberg, Jason W. Sickler, Lawrence C. West, Faisal R. Ahmad, Paul E. Glenn, Jack Jewell, John Glenn, Jose Camara, Jeremy Christopher Jordan, Todd Rearick, Farshid Ghasemi, Jonathan C. Schultz, Keith G. Fife, Benjamin Cipriany
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Patent number: 10246742Abstract: Apparatus and methods for producing ultrashort optical pulses are described. A high-power, solid-state, passively mode-locked laser can be manufactured in a compact module that can be incorporated into a portable instrument for biological or chemical analyses. The pulsed laser may produce sub-100-ps optical pulses at a repetition rate commensurate with electronic data-acquisition rates. The optical pulses may excite samples in reaction chambers of the instrument, and be used to generate a reference clock for operating signal-acquisition and signal-processing electronics of the instrument.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 2016Date of Patent: April 2, 2019Assignee: Quantum-Si IncorporatedInventors: Jonathan M. Rothberg, Jason W. Sickler, Lawrence C. West, Faisal R. Ahmad, Paul E. Glenn, Jack Jewell, John Glenn, Jose Camara, Jeremy Christopher Jordan, Todd Rearick, Farshid Ghasemi, Jonathan C. Schultz, Keith G. Fife
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Patent number: 10153616Abstract: A vertical external cavity surface emitting laser (VECSEL) structure includes a heterostructure and first and second reflectors. The heterostructure comprises an active region having one or more quantum well structures configured to emit radiation at a wavelength, ?lase, in response to pumping by an electron beam. One or more layers of the heterostructure may be doped. The active region is disposed between the first reflector and the second reflector and is spaced apart from the first reflector by an external cavity. An electron beam source is configured to generate the electron beam directed toward the active region. At least one electrical contact is electrically coupled to the heterostructure and is configured to provide a current path between the heterostructure and ground.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2017Date of Patent: December 11, 2018Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center IncorporatedInventors: Thomas Wunderer, Noble M. Johnson, John E. Northrup
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Patent number: 9882335Abstract: A mode locked laser supplies a high repetition seed pulse train along a seed beam path to a pulse picker having at least one polarizer. A Faraday rotator in optical communication with the seed beam rotates the polarization of the seed beam by about 45°. A double pass acousto optical modulator (AOM) receives the seed beam propagating through the Faraday rotator and diffracts the seed beam into a first order first pass beam and a zero order first pass beam. A reflector returns the first pass first order beam into the acousto optical modulator for a second pass. The modulator diffract the beam into a zero order second pass beam and a first order second pass diffracted beam, the first order second pass beam propagating on the substantially same path as the incoming seed beam but in the opposite direction.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2016Date of Patent: January 30, 2018Assignee: Photonics Industries Int'lInventors: Yusong Yin, Andrea Burzo, Sergiy Nazarenko
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Patent number: 9787051Abstract: Compact optical frequency sources are described. The comb source may include an intra-cavity optical element having a multi-material integrated structure with an electrically controllable active region. The active region may comprise a thin film. By way of example, the thin film and an insulating dielectric material disposed between two electrodes can provide for rapid loss modulation. In some embodiments the thin film may comprise graphene. In various embodiments of a frequency comb laser, rapid modulation of the CEO frequency can be implemented via electric modulation of the transmission or reflection loss of an additional optical element, which can be the saturable absorber itself. In another embodiment, the thin film can also be used as a saturable absorber in order to facilitate passive modelocking. In some implementations the optical element may be formed on a cleaved or polished end of an optical fiber.Type: GrantFiled: July 8, 2014Date of Patent: October 10, 2017Assignees: The Regents of the University of Colorado, a body corporate, IMRA AMERICA, INC.Inventors: Martin E. Fermann, Thomas R. Schibli, Ingmar Hartl
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Patent number: 9614343Abstract: A device for amplifying a multi-wavelength pulsed laser beam is provided, which comprises: a solid amplifying medium with two planer faces, a front face and a reflecting rear face; and a device for cooling the amplifying medium by the rear face. The front face of the amplifying medium is tilted relative to its rear face by a first non-zero tilt and the device further comprises a trapezoidal prism, with an input face and an output face which form between them a second non-zero tilt, the first and second tilts being such that the beams of each wavelength are parallel to one another at the output of the prism.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2013Date of Patent: April 4, 2017Assignee: THALESInventors: Sebastien Laux, Olivier Casagrande, Paul Jougla
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Patent number: 9494734Abstract: Novel use of a cladded quantum dot array layer serving as a waveguide channel by sandwiching it between two cladding layers comprised of lower index of refraction materials is described to form Si nanophotonic devices and integrated circuits. The photonic device structure is compatible with Si nanoelectronics using conventional, quantum dot gate (QDG), and quantum dot channel (QDC) FET based logic, memories, and other integrated circuits.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 2013Date of Patent: November 15, 2016Inventors: Faquir Chand Jain, John Zeller
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Patent number: 9484712Abstract: A combined Gain-SOA (Semiconductor Optical Amplifier) Chip is provided for forming a hybrid laser by a combination with an external reflector, the Gain-SOA Chip comprising a gain section and an SOA section, wherein an optical grating is arranged between the gain section and the SOA section.Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 2015Date of Patent: November 1, 2016Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.Inventor: Martin Möhrle
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Patent number: 9425581Abstract: Apparatus and methods for anisotropic pumping of a Kerr lens modelocked laser. Direct diode laser pumping of an ultrafast Kerr lens modelocked laser oscillator is accomplished. Diode lasers generate severely anisotropic beams, meaning the pump beam has a higher-beam-quality dimension and a lower-beam-quality dimension. By spatially overlap of the pump beam higher-beam-quality dimension and the KLM laser mode, KLM operation is accomplished. Multiple laser diode pump beams are combined in counterpropagating and same-side configurations.Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 2015Date of Patent: August 23, 2016Assignee: KM Labs Inc.Inventors: Sterling Backus, Charles G. Durfee, Matthew S. Kirchner
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Publication number: 20150117476Abstract: Provided is a passively Q-switched element or the like, which enables mode selection without increasing the number of components in a resonator in a Q-switched pulse laser or the like that oscillates in a great number of high-order modes and which is also applicable to a waveguide type laser in which a mode cannot be controlled spatially. By combining a saturable absorber (2) with a transparent material (3) which is transparent to a laser oscillation wavelength or the like, a passively Q-switched element having a mode selection function and a passively Q-switched laser device in which a passively Q-switched element has a mode selection function, and a planar waveguide type passively Q-switched element and passively Q-switched laser device are provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 25, 2013Publication date: April 30, 2015Inventors: Yosuke Akino, Yoshihito Hirano, Takayuki Yanagisawa, Hidenori Fukahori
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Patent number: 9014221Abstract: Laser devices are presented in which a graphene saturable absorber and an optical amplifier are disposed in a resonant optical cavity with an optical or electrical pump providing energy to the optical amplifier.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 2012Date of Patent: April 21, 2015Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventors: Francis J. Kub, Marc Currie
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Patent number: 8995479Abstract: The present invention relates to a laser apparatus having a structure for removing a skirt portion contained in pulsed light, and a laser processing method using the laser apparatus. The laser apparatus comprises a MOPA fiber laser light source which outputs pulsed light having a skirt portion with a light intensity lower than a predetermined value, and a saturable absorber which removes a skirt portion from the pulsed light outputted from the MOPA fiber laser light source.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 2012Date of Patent: March 31, 2015Assignee: Megaopto Co., Ltd.Inventors: Yasuomi Kaneuchi, Motoki Kakui
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Patent number: 8976820Abstract: To provide a passive Q-switch-type solid laser apparatus for outputting a high peak-power pulse laser whose pulse energy is large and pulse-time width is small. A passive Q-switch-type solid laser apparatus has: two reflection elements for forming an oscillator; a solid gain medium being disposed between the two reflection elements; a saturable absorber being disposed between the two reflection elements; an excitation device for exciting the solid gain medium; and a cross section control device for making at least one of a stimulated emission cross section of the solid gain medium and an absorption cross section of the saturable absorber closer to another one of them; and the cross section control device is equipped with at least one or both of a temperature control device for retaining the solid gain medium at a predetermined temperature and an oscillatory-wavelength control device for fixating an oscillatory wavelength at a predetermined wavelength.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2012Date of Patent: March 10, 2015Assignee: Inter-University Research Institute Corporation National Institutes of Natural SciencesInventors: Takunori Taira, Simon Joly, Rakesh Bhandari
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Patent number: 8964800Abstract: A microcrystal laser for generating laser pulses has a laser resonator which has a laser medium arranged between two mirrors; and an arrangement for stabilizing the optical path length is provided. The laser resonator has a saturable absorber medium for pulse generation.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 2014Date of Patent: February 24, 2015Assignee: Coherent LaserSystems GmbH & Co. KGInventors: Stefan Spiekermann, Georg Sommerer
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Patent number: 8964799Abstract: The present invention relates to a Q-switching-induced gain-switched erbium pulse laser system, capable of generating erbium laser pulses within the 2.5 ?m to 3.0 ?m wavelength region, by means of Q-switching operation at 1.6 ?m. At first, an Er3+-doped gain medium is pumped and Q-switched at the wavelength region from 1.58 ?m to 1.62 ?m, so that a Q-switched pulse is formed from the Er3+-doped gain medium. The Q-switched pulse results in an instant positive population inversion between the levels 4I11/2 and 4I13/2 of the Er3+-doped gain medium, followed by a gain-switched laser pulse at the wavelength region from 2.5 ?m to 3.0 ?m.Type: GrantFiled: July 12, 2012Date of Patent: February 24, 2015Assignee: National Cheng Kung UniversityInventor: Tzong-Yow Tsai
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Patent number: 8948220Abstract: A microcrystal laser assembly including a gain-crystal includes a frame having a high thermal conductivity. The frame has a base with two spaced apart portions extending from the base. The gain-crystal has a resonator output minor on one surface thereof. The gain-crystal is supported on the spaced-apart portions of the frame in the space therebetween. Another resonator minor is supported in that space, spaced apart from the output mirror, on a pedestal attached to the base of the frame. The pedestal and the frame have different CTE. Varying the frame temperature varies the spacing between the resonator minors depending on the CTE difference between the pedestal and the frame.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2012Date of Patent: February 3, 2015Assignee: Coherent GmbHInventor: Stefan Spiekermann
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Publication number: 20140362879Abstract: This disclosure demonstrates successfully using single, polycrystalline, hot pressed ceramic, and thin film Fe doped binary chalcogenides (such as ZnSe and ZnS) as saturable absorbing passive Q-switches. The method of producing polycrystalline ZnSe(S) yields fairly uniform distribution of dopant, large coefficients of absorption (5-50 cm?1) and low passive losses while being highly cost effective and easy to reproduce. Using these Fe2+:ZnSe crystals, stable Q-switched output was achieved with a low threshold and the best cavity configuration yielded 13 mJ/pulse single mode Q-switched output and 85 mJ in a multipulse regime.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 26, 2014Publication date: December 11, 2014Applicant: The UAB Research FoundationInventors: Sergey B. Mirov, Andrew Gallian, Alan Martinez, Vladimir V. Fedorov
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Patent number: 8891566Abstract: A system and method for controllably chirping electromagnetic radiation from a radiation source includes an optical cavity arrangement. The optical cavity arrangement enables electromagnetic radiation to be produced with a substantially linear chirp rate and a configurable period. By selectively injecting electromagnetic radiation into the optical cavity, the electromagnetic radiation may be produced with a single resonant mode that is frequency shifted at the substantially linear chirp rate. Producing the electromagnetic radiation with a single resonant mode may increase the coherence length of the electromagnetic radiation, which may be advantageous when the electromagnetic radiation is implemented in various applications. For example, the electromagnetic radiation produced by the optical cavity arrangement may enhance a range, speed, accuracy, and/or other aspects of a laser radar system.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2011Date of Patent: November 18, 2014Assignee: Digital Signal CorporationInventor: Kendall L. Belsley
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Patent number: 8837535Abstract: A microcrystal laser for generating laser pulses has a laser resonator which has a laser medium arranged between two mirrors; and an arrangement for stabilizing the optical path length is provided. The laser resonator has a saturable absorber medium for pulse generation.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2011Date of Patent: September 16, 2014Assignee: Coherent Lasersystems GmbH & Co. KGInventors: Stefan Spiekermann, Georg Sommerer
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Patent number: 8817364Abstract: Provided is a device of generating various types of pulses by controlling a distance between saturable absorber connectors, and more particularly, a device of generating various types of pulses by controlling a distance between saturable absorber connectors, capable of actively controlling a distance between saturable absorbers to completely overcome a disadvantage that an opened space is present in a cavity or a disadvantage that a fiber component should be changed and implementing a simple design of the entire fiber laser cavity since only a saturable absorber part, which is a portion of a fiber laser cavity, should be designed, as a carbon nanotube saturable absorber part in a passively mode-locked fiber laser generating apparatus using the saturable absorber.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2013Date of Patent: August 26, 2014Assignee: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and TechnologyInventors: Soo Hyun Kim, Kyung-Soo Kim, Sung Yoon Ryu, Won Sik Kwon, Hyub Lee, Jin Hwan Kim, Jin Doo Choi, Seung Hwan Jo, Sang Wook Lee, Seung Ryeol Oh
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Patent number: 8817830Abstract: This disclosure demonstrates successfully using single, polycrystalline, hot pressed ceramic, and thin film Fe doped binary chalcogenides (such as ZnSe and ZnS) as saturable absorbing passive Q-switches. The method of producing polycrystalline ZnSe(S) yields fairly uniform distribution of dopant, large coefficients of absorption (5-50 cm?1) and low passive losses while being highly cost effective and easy to reproduce. Using these Fe2+:ZnSe crystals, stable Q-switched output was achieved with a low threshold and the best cavity configuration yielded 13 mJ/pulse single mode Q-switched output and 85 mJ in a multipulse regime.Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2007Date of Patent: August 26, 2014Assignee: The UAB Research FoundationInventors: Sergey Mirov, Andrew Gallian, Alan Martinez, Vladimir Fedorov
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Patent number: 8792525Abstract: Compact optical frequency sources are described. The comb source may include an intra-cavity optical element having a multi-material integrated structure with an electrically controllable active region. The active region may comprise a thin film. By way of example, the thin film and an insulating dielectric material disposed between two electrodes can provide for rapid loss modulation. In some embodiments the thin film may comprise graphene. In various embodiments of a frequency comb laser, rapid modulation of the CEO frequency can be implemented via electric modulation of the transmission or reflection loss of an additional optical element, which can be the saturable absorber itself. In another embodiment, the thin film can also be used as a saturable absorber in order to facilitate passive modelocking. In some implementations the optical element may be formed on a cleaved or polished end of an optical fiber.Type: GrantFiled: May 25, 2012Date of Patent: July 29, 2014Assignees: The Regents of the University of Colorado, a body corporate, Imra America, Inc.Inventors: Martin E. Fermann, Thomas R. Schibli, Ingmar Hartl
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Patent number: 8787411Abstract: Implementations and examples of mode-locked fiber lasers based on fiber laser cavity designs that produce self-similar pulses (“similaritons”) with parabolic pulse profiles with respect to time at the output of the fiber gain media to effectuate the desired mode locking operation. An intra-cavity narrowband optical spectral filter is included in such fiber lasers to ensure the proper similariton conditions.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 2012Date of Patent: July 22, 2014Assignee: Cornell UniversityInventors: Frank Wise, William Renninger, Andy Chong
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Patent number: 8774237Abstract: A high power pulsed laser system is configured with at least two gain blocks and with at least one saturable absorber (SA) coupled to the output and input of the respective gain blocks. The SA is configured so that Qsat_sa<Qsat_gb, wherein Qsat_sa is a saturation energy of the SA, and Qsat_gb is a saturation energy of the gain blocks. The SA is further configured with a recovery time ?<1/f providing for the substantially closed state of the SA, wherein the f is a pulse repetition rate, and with the recovery time ? smaller than a round trip time Tround_trip=2*(L1+L2)*n/c, where L1, L2—lengths of the respective gains gain blocks, n—a refractive index of active media, c—a speed of light in vacuum.Type: GrantFiled: August 23, 2012Date of Patent: July 8, 2014Assignee: IPG Photonics CorporationInventors: Sergey Maryashin, Andrey Unt
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Publication number: 20140169390Abstract: A microcrystal laser assembly including a gain-crystal includes a frame having a high thermal conductivity. The frame has a base with two spaced apart portions extending from the base. The gain-crystal has a resonator output minor on one surface thereof. The gain-crystal is supported on the spaced-apart portions of the frame in the space therebetween. Another resonator minor is supported in that space, spaced apart from the output mirror, on a pedestal attached to the base of the frame. The pedestal and the frame have different CTE. Varying the frame temperature varies the spacing between the resonator minors depending on the CTE difference between the pedestal and the frame.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 18, 2012Publication date: June 19, 2014Applicant: COHERENT GMBHInventor: Stefan SPIEKERMANN
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Patent number: 8724666Abstract: A laser oscillator to generate a pulsed light beam includes an output coupler mirror, configured to reflect a reflected portion of the pulsed light beam back into the laser oscillator, and to couple an outputted portion of the pulsed light beam out from the laser oscillator; an end-mirror, configured to return the pulsed light beam into the laser oscillator; a gain material, positioned between the output coupler mirror and the end-mirror along an optical path, configured to amplify the pulsed light beam; a self-starting saturable absorber, configured to self-start a pulsed mode-locking operation of the laser oscillator; and a pulse-shaping saturable absorber, configured to shape pulses of the pulsed light beam into laser pulses with a pulse length of less than 1,000 femtoseconds.Type: GrantFiled: January 4, 2013Date of Patent: May 13, 2014Assignee: Alcon LenSx, Inc.Inventor: Ferenc Raksi
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Patent number: 8656879Abstract: In a method for operating a laser device, which has a laser-active solid having a passive Q-switch, the laser device is acted upon using pumping light in such a way that a specifiable curve over time of the inversion density comes about in the laser-active solid, as a result of which an especially precise control of the time behavior is achieved during the generation of passively Q-switched laser pulses.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 2009Date of Patent: February 25, 2014Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbHInventor: Heiko Ridderbusch
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Publication number: 20140010247Abstract: To provide a passive Q-switch-type solid laser apparatus for outputting a high peak-power pulse laser whose pulse energy is large and pulse-time width is small. A passive Q-switch-type solid laser apparatus has: two reflection elements for forming an oscillator; a solid gain medium being disposed between the two reflection elements; a saturable absorber being disposed between the two reflection elements; an excitation device for exciting the solid gain medium; and a cross section control device for making at least one of a stimulated emission cross section of the solid gain medium and an absorption cross section of the saturable absorber closer to another one of them; and the cross section control device is equipped with at least one or both of a temperature control device for retaining the solid gain medium at a predetermined temperature and an oscillatory-wavelength control device for fixating an oscillatory wavelength at a predetermined wavelength.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 21, 2012Publication date: January 9, 2014Applicant: Inter-University Research Institute Corporation National Institutes of Natural SciencesInventors: Takunori Taira, Simon Joly, Rakesh Bhandari
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Patent number: 8625644Abstract: The invention relates to a Q-switched laser comprised of a pump light source (1), an optical resonator accommodating a laser medium (6), and a passive Q-switch (5). It is the object of the present invention to provide an improved Q-switched laser which is of a simple and compact setup while having the least possible jitter of the repetition time. To achieve this target, the invention proposes that by means of a beam splitter (8) part of the light coupled out of the optical resonator is passed on to an optical delay line (9) and coupled back into the optical resonator upon having passed through the optical delay line (9).Type: GrantFiled: September 17, 2010Date of Patent: January 7, 2014Assignees: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Forderung der Angewandten Forschung E.V., Friedrich-Schiller-Universitat JenaInventors: Andreas Tünnermann, Dirk Nodop, Alexander Steinmetz, Jens Limpert
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Patent number: 8548014Abstract: The present invention is directed to providing an environmentally stable, ultra-short pulse source. Exemplary embodiments relate to passively modelocked ultra-short fiber lasers which are insensitive to temperature variations and which possess only negligible sensitivity to pressure variations. Further, exemplary embodiments can be implemented in a cost-effective manner which render them commercially practical in unlimited applications. Arbitrary fiber lengths (e.g., on the order of 1 millimeter to 1 kilometer, or greater) can be used to provide an ultra-short pulse with a cost-effective architecture which is commercially practical.Type: GrantFiled: February 16, 2012Date of Patent: October 1, 2013Assignee: IMRA America, Inc.Inventors: Martin E. Fermann, Donald J. Harter
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Patent number: 8548023Abstract: A semiconductor laser element includes a laminate composed of a first conductivity type semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second conductivity type semiconductor layer; and a second embedded layer that is in contact with the second conductivity type semiconductor layer, has a stripe-like groove parallel to the cavity direction, and is composed of an insulator, the groove is embedded with a first embedded layer composed of a dielectric on the cavity end face side, and with a conductive layer on the inside.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2008Date of Patent: October 1, 2013Assignee: Nichia CorporationInventors: Shinya Sonobe, Shingo Masui
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Patent number: 8532151Abstract: A passively Q-switched laser comprises a pump laser diode, a micro laser resonant cavity including a lasing medium and a saturable absorber, a filter and a photodiode. The lasing medium and saturable absorber are bonded together, and dielectric film is coated on the surfaces of the bonded body to form the laser resonant cavity. The filter reflects a portion of the Q-switched laser pulse beam. The photodiode can detect and convert the laser pulse to electric signal for triggering purpose.Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 2012Date of Patent: September 10, 2013Assignee: Photop Suwtech, Inc.Inventors: Dashan Li, Shaofeng Zhang, Chao Lv
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Patent number: 8526471Abstract: A saturable absorber (SA) based on a high-contrast grating (HCG) having a buried layer of quantum structures for absorption, and which is particularly well suited for use in a mode-locked application. The HCG-SA provides three times the bandwidth compared with traditional DBR structures, while exhibiting a lower saturation fluence due to the field enhancement inside the grating. Varying grating bar width over one or two axis provides lensing effects on the optical output, while chirping of the period and duty cycle changes optical phase relationships. Novel VCSEL embodiments with external or internal cavities are described using the HCG-SA.Type: GrantFiled: August 23, 2012Date of Patent: September 3, 2013Assignee: The Regents of the University of CaliforniaInventors: Connie Chang-Hasnain, Weijian Yang, Christopher Chase, Forrest G. Sedgwick
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Patent number: 8446925Abstract: A method and device for reducing the timing jitter in a passive Q-switched Nd:YAG solid state laser by spatially selective bleaching a thin sheet of a saturable absorber of Cr+4:YAG from a direction orthogonal to the direction of laser emission where the Cr+4:YAG transmission increases 18% when the bleaching probe beam is a single laser diode bar. For steady state operation of a passive Q-switched laser, the pulse-to-pulse timing jitter showed a ?12× reduction in standard deviation from 241 nsec for free running operation to 20 nsec with optical triggering.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2010Date of Patent: May 21, 2013Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the ArmyInventors: Lew Goldberg, Brian J Cole, John E Nettleton, Dallas N Barr
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Publication number: 20130121353Abstract: Laser devices are presented in which a graphene saturable absorber and an optical amplifier are disposed in a resonant optical cavity with an optical or electrical pump providing energy to the optical amplifier.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 14, 2012Publication date: May 16, 2013Inventors: Francis J. Kub, Marc Currie
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Publication number: 20130114627Abstract: A laser system comprises a pump diode, fiber, relay optics, and a microchip laser crystal. The pump diode produces light at a first wavelength. The fiber receives the light from the pump diode and produces a round, homogeneous light spot at an output of the fiber. The relay optics receives the light from the fiber. The microchip laser crystal receives the light from the relay optics and produces a linearly polarized single frequency output at a second wavelength. The microchip laser crystal includes a first layer and a second layer. The first layer absorbs the light at the first wavelength and emits light at the second wavelength. The second layer receives the light at the second wavelength and either provides a polarization dependent loss at the second wavelength or maintains a polarization of the light at the second wavelength.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 7, 2011Publication date: May 9, 2013Applicant: Raytheon CompanyInventors: David M. Filgas, N. Peter Davis, Matthew J. Klotz, Victor Leyva, Robert Stultz, Juan Carlos Sotelo
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Publication number: 20130051410Abstract: A saturable absorber (SA) based on a high-contrast grating (HCG) having a buried layer of quantum structures for absorption, and which is particularly well suited for use in a mode-locked application. The HCG-SA provides three times the bandwidth compared with traditional DBR structures, while exhibiting a lower saturation fluence due to the field enhancement inside the grating. Varying grating bar width over one or two axis provides lensing effects on the optical output, while chirping of the period and duty cycle changes optical phase relationships. Novel VCSEL embodiments with external or internal cavities are described using the HCG-SA.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 23, 2012Publication date: February 28, 2013Applicant: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIAInventors: Connie Chang-Hasnain, Weijan Yang, Christopher Chase, Forrest G. Sedgwick
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Patent number: 8369366Abstract: To make it possible to use a type I nonlinear optical crystal or a quasi phase matching element as a third harmonic generation crystal there is provided a semiconductor laser, a solid state laser medium that outputs a fundamental wave, a second harmonic generation crystal that outputs a second harmonic wave from the fundamental wave, and a third harmonic generation crystal that outputs a third harmonic wave from the fundamental wave and the second harmonic wave. A quasi phase matching elements is utilized as the second harmonic generation crystal. It is possible to use a type I nonlinear optical crystal or a quasi phase matching element as the third harmonic generation crystal.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2008Date of Patent: February 5, 2013Assignee: Shimadzu CorporationInventors: Koji Tojo, Naoya Ishigaki
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Publication number: 20120327959Abstract: Compact optical frequency sources are described. The comb source may include an intra-cavity optical element having a multi-material integrated structure with an electrically controllable active region. The active region may comprise a thin film. By way of example, the thin film and an insulating dielectric material disposed between two electrodes can provide for rapid loss modulation. In some embodiments the thin film may comprise graphene. In various embodiments of a frequency comb laser, rapid modulation of the CEO frequency can be implemented via electric modulation of the transmission or reflection loss of an additional optical element, which can be the saturable absorber itself. In another embodiment, the thin film can also be used as a saturable absorber in order to facilitate passive modelocking. In some implementations the optical element may be formed on a cleaved or polished end of an optical fiber.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 25, 2012Publication date: December 27, 2012Applicant: IMRA AMERICA, INC.Inventors: Martin E. FERMANN, Thomas R. SCHIBLI, Ingmar HARTL
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Patent number: 8340141Abstract: A method of operating an all-fiber-based ultra short pulse laser system is provided. The steps includes providing an all-fiber-based ultra short pulse laser system having a pulse pump light source, a fiber saturable absorber, an assistant light source, at least a dispersion fiber, and a light coupling output; generating a broadband ASE via the pulse pump light source; making the all-fiber-based ultra short pulse laser system switch passive mode locking via the fiber saturable absorber; decreasing the restoring period of the fiber saturable absorber via the assistant light source; providing dispersion compensation via the dispersion fiber to output an ultra short pulse; and partially outputting a laser passing through the all-fiber-based ultra short pulse laser system via the light coupling output.Type: GrantFiled: June 5, 2012Date of Patent: December 25, 2012Assignee: Industrial Technology Research InstituteInventors: Yao-Wen Chang, Chien-Ming Huang
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Patent number: 8340142Abstract: The invention relates to a passively triggered microchip laser (1) formed by a cavity closed by an input mirror (4) and an output mirror (5), characterized in that the cavity includes deflection means (9, 10, 11, 12, 13) designed to deflect a light beam (14) between the input mirror (4) and the output mirror (5).Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 2008Date of Patent: December 25, 2012Assignees: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - CNRS, Universite de Limoges, Horus LaserInventors: Laurent Lefort, Paul-Henri Pioger, Vincent Couderc