Mode Locking Patents (Class 372/18)
  • Patent number: 9865982
    Abstract: A mode-locked laser has optical components integrated into a single apparatus and interrelated via optical free-space coupling. The laser optical cavity path is reduced to less than ten meters, primarily composed of optical gain fiber. A Fabry-Perot filter is matched to the laser pulse repetition frequency. Utilizing a Fabry-Perot filter within the laser optical cavity suppresses supermode spurs in the phase noise spectrum; thereby reducing total timing jitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas J. Cullen, Mark A. Laliberte, Raymond Zanoni
  • Patent number: 9819142
    Abstract: A modular, compact and widely tunable laser system for the efficient generation of high peak and high average power ultrashort pulses. Peak power handling capability of fiber amplifiers is expanded by using optimized pulse shapes, as well as dispersively broadened pulses. Dispersive pulse stretching in the presence of self-phase modulation and gain results in the formation of high-power parabolic pulses. To ensure a wide tunability of the whole system, Raman-shifting of the compact sources of ultrashort pulses in conjunction with frequency-conversion in nonlinear optical crystals can be implemented, or an Anti-Stokes fiber in conjunction with fiber amplifiers and Raman-shifters are used. Positive dispersion optical amplifiers are used to improve transmission characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: IMRA AMERICA, INC.
    Inventor: Martin E. Fermann
  • Patent number: 9778110
    Abstract: Described self-referencing cavity enhanced spectroscopy (SRCES) systems and methods are tailored to acquiring spectra in a middle regime, in which signals are lower than optimal for conventional absorption spectroscopy, and absorption is higher than optimal for cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS). Longitudinal mode resonance spectral peaks are analyzed individually to extract intensity ratios (e.g. maximum to minimum) and/or curve-fitting parameters, obviating the need to measure or precisely control the input light intensity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Picarro, Inc.
    Inventors: Chris W. Rella, Sze M. Tan, Yonggang He
  • Patent number: 9735533
    Abstract: The invention is a passively mode-locked ultrashort pulse fiber laser for generating ultrashort laser pulses, including a resonator in a figure-of-eight configuration, wherein the resonator has a main ring and a secondary ring optically coupled thereto designed as a non-linear Sagnac interferometer, and wherein the main ring and the secondary ring are constructed of polarization-maintaining optical fibers, and the main ring and/or secondary ring have a fiber section designed as a laser-active medium, wherein the laser-active medium is optically pumped through an externally-coupled pump light source which is also comprised, wherein the ultrashort pulse fiber laser is developed in that a separate optical unit is provided in the resonator as a dispersion compensation unit for compensating a group delay dispersion of the ultrashort laser pulses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY
    Inventors: Damian Barre, Franz Kärtner
  • Patent number: 9722392
    Abstract: A MOPA laser system that includes a seed laser configured to output pulsed laser light, an amplifier configured to receive and amplify the pulsed laser light emitted by the seed laser; and a pump laser configured to deliver a pump laser beam to both the seed laser and the amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Candela Corporation
    Inventors: Jayant D. Bhawalkar, Xiaoming Shang, Jinze Qiu, Christopher J. Jones, James Hsia
  • Patent number: 9716553
    Abstract: An RF signal transceiver comprising a mode-locked laser to output an optical signal having a plurality of phase-locked modes, an optical splitter to power split the optical signal into a transmitter optical signal and a receiver optical signal; a transmitter apparatus to receive the transmitter optical signal and comprising an optical filter to select two of the modes, an optical modulator to modulate a part of the transmitter optical signal to form at least one phase modulated optical signal, and a photodetector to heterodyne the phase modulated optical signal with one of the modes without a corresponding phase modulation to form an RF signal for transmission; and a receiver apparatus arranged to receive an RF signal and the receiver optical signal and comprising an optical modulator to modulate the receiver optical signal with the received RF signal; and an optical to electrical signal conversion apparatus to convert the modulated receiver optical signal into a corresponding electrical signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (publ)
    Inventors: Antonella Bogoni, Paolo Ghelfi
  • Patent number: 9711933
    Abstract: A laser system and a laser outputting method are disclosed. The method comprises: providing a oscillator, wherein the oscillator comprises a pump light source, a cavity and a mode locked controller; utilizing the pump light source to emit a pump light into the cavity; outputting first laser pulses to the spectrum converter; utilizing a wavelength conversion chip of the spectrum converter to convert the first laser pulses to second laser pulses; utilizing at least one photo-detector to detect a power of the second laser pulses; controlling the mode locked controller to modulate a mode-locked status of the cavity when the power of the second laser pulses is lower than a threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: HC Photonics Corp.
    Inventors: Ming-Hsien Chou, Hung-Wen Chen, Huang-Yi Lin, Ting-Hui Chen
  • Patent number: 9711096
    Abstract: Several embodiments of display systems that use narrowband emitters are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a display system comprises, for at least one primary color, a plurality of narrowband emitters distributed around the primary color point. The plurality of narrowband emitters provides a more regular power vs. spectral distribution in a desired band of frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Eric Kozak, Scott Daly
  • Patent number: 9705276
    Abstract: A laser apparatus operable to generate giant chirp pulses. The pulses have a center frequency comprising an arrangement of components connected or connectable to form a closed ring cavity. The components comprise a first gain medium, an optical isolator, a length of single mode fiber, a mode locking device, an output coupler, and an optical filter. Each of the components are optical fiber based components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Southern Photonics Limited
    Inventors: Claude Aguergaray, Miro Juhani Erkintalo, Antoine Francois Jacques Runge, Neil Gregory Raphael Broderick
  • Patent number: 9653877
    Abstract: Apparatus, systems, and methods of generating multi combs can be used in a variety of applications. In various embodiments, a passive resonator can be disposed in the laser cavity of a mode-locked laser to generate a nested frequency comb. The passive resonator can be a sample under investigation, where a characteristic of the sample is determined using the generated nested frequency comb. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: STC.UNM
    Inventors: Ladan Arissian, Jean-Claude Diels
  • Patent number: 9653868
    Abstract: Modelocked fiber laser resonators may be coupled with optical amplifiers. An isolator optionally may separate the resonator from the amplifier. A reflective optical element on one end of the resonator having a relatively low reflectivity may be employed to couple light from the resonator to the amplifier. Enhanced pulse-width control may be provided with concatenated sections of both polarization-maintaining and non-polarization-maintaining fibers. Apodized fiber Bragg gratings and integrated fiber polarizers may also be included in the laser cavity to assist in linearly polarizing the output of the cavity. Very short pulses with a large optical bandwidth may be obtained by matching the dispersion value of the grating to the inverse of the dispersion of the intra-cavity fiber. Frequency comb sources may be constructed from such modelocked fiber oscillators. Low dispersion and an in-line interferometer that provides feedback may assist in controlling the frequency components output from the comb source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: IMRA America, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin E. Fermann, Ingmar Hartl, Gennady Imeshev
  • Patent number: 9653881
    Abstract: A method for testing a tunable wavelength laser device, which can suppress any error of light transmission characteristics of an etalon, and a tunable wavelength laser device are provided. The method for testing a tunable wavelength laser device is a method for testing a tunable wavelength laser device including a tunable wavelength laser and a wavelength sensing unit having an etalon. The testing method includes a first step of measuring a free spectral range interval of the etalon, a second step of acquiring a driving condition by tuning a wavelength to a target value provided between a top and a bottom of the free spectral range interval, and a third step of storing the driving condition in a memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Eiichi Banno
  • Patent number: 9653871
    Abstract: Rare earth oxides doped multicomponent glass fibers for laser generation and amplification, including a core and a cladding, the core comprising at least 2 weight percent glass network modifier selected from BaO, CaO, MgO, ZnO, PbO, K2O, Na2O, Li2O, Y2O3, or combinations; wherein the mode of the core is guided with step index difference between the core and the cladding, a numerical aperture of the fiber is between 0.01 and 0.04; core diameter is from 25 to 120 micron, and a length of the gain fiber is shorter than 60 cm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: ADVALUE PHOTONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Shibin Jiang, Tao Luo, Qing Wang, Lei Pan
  • Patent number: 9620932
    Abstract: The present invention describes a self mode locking laser and a method for self mode locking a laser. The laser (1) comprises a resonator terminated by first (3) and second (4) mirrors and folded by a third mirror (5). The third mirror comprises a single distributed Bragg reflector (17) upon which is mounted a multilayer semiconductor gain medium (18) and which includes at least one quantum well layer and an optical Kerr lensing layer (22). Self mode locking may be achieved by configuring the laser resonator such that the lensing effect of the Kerr lensing layer acts to reduce an astigmatism deliberately introduced to the cavity mode. The self mode locking of the laser may be further enhanced by selecting the length of the resonator such that a round trip time of a cavity mode is matched with an upper-state lifetime of one or more semiconductor carriers located within the gain medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: SOLUS TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
    Inventors: Craig James Hamilton, Graeme Peter Alexander Malcolm, Lukasz Kornaszewski
  • Patent number: 9577410
    Abstract: It is provided that an optical functional integrated unit and a method for manufacturing thereof in which a positive optical device and a passive optical device including a silicon waveguide can be readily integrated. An optical functional integrated unit includes a semiconductor optical amplifier, a photonics device, a mounting board, pedestals and. The pedestals and are provided on the mounting board. The semiconductor optical amplifier is mounted on the pedestal and outputs a light from an active layer. The photonics device is mounted on the pedestal. The photonics device includes silicon waveguide to which the light output from the semiconductor optical amplifier is guided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 9570878
    Abstract: Optical pulse source for generating optical supercontinuum pulses, comprising an optical pump laser operable to generate optical pump pulses at a pump pulse repetition rate Rf; a nonlinear optical element comprising a microstructured optical fiber arranged to receive the optical pump pulses and configured to spectrally broaden the optical pump pulses to generate optical supercontinuum pulses; an optical modulator provided between the optical pump laser and the microstructured optical fiber and operable to selectively control the launch of optical pump pulses into the microstructured optical fiber at a variable, reduced repetition rate Rr=Rf/N, wherein N is a positive integer, to thereby control the repetition rate of optical supercontinuum pulses generated within the nonlinear optical element; and wherein the optical pulse source is configured to provide a plurality of different repetition rates and nominally identical spectral broadening for the different repetition rates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Fianium Ltd.
    Inventors: John Redvers Clowes, Anatoly Borisovich Grudinin, Ian Michael Godfrey
  • Patent number: 9564729
    Abstract: The disclosed broadband supercontinuum light emitting device includes a nonlinear optical fiber, a pump system, a cavity, and an active medium. The active medium may comprise an active fiber and may be located inside the cavity. The active medium is configured and arranged, by means of a pumping provided by the pump system, to generate and emit chaotic pulses of laser light towards the nonlinear optical fiber, which excite the nonlinear effects thereof for the generation and emission of supercontinuum light in the form of pulses of light distributed randomly over time. Numerous uses of the device are disclosed for multiple applications that require a low-cost, very bright light source with an adequate broadband spectrum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: Universitat de València
    Inventors: Miguel Vicente Andrés Bou, José Luis Cruz Muñoz, Antonio Díez Cremades, Yury Barmenkov, Pere Pérez Millán
  • Patent number: 9559483
    Abstract: High power parallel fiber arrays for the amplification of high peak power pulses are described. Fiber arrays based on individual fiber amplifiers as well as fiber arrays based on multi-core fibers can be implemented. The optical phase between the individual fiber amplifier elements of the fiber array is measured and controlled using a variety of phase detection and compensation techniques. High power fiber array amplifiers can be used for EUV and X-ray generation as well as pumping of parametric amplifiers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: IMRA AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Martin Fermann, Ingmar Hartl, Andrius Marcinkevicius, Liang Dong
  • Patent number: 9548812
    Abstract: The invention pertains to methods, apparatus, and systems for controlling the sub-carrier frequencies in an optical frequency division multiplex communication system by using a metric available from the sub-carrier modem's digital receive block as an indicator of cross-talk between sub-carriers and adjusting the sub-carrier frequency separation as a function of that metric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: Ciena Corporation
    Inventors: Gary Mak, Edgar Velez
  • Patent number: 9531162
    Abstract: A method for producing a semiconductor optical device includes the steps of forming a first semiconductor substrate having a stacked semiconductor layer; adjusting a proportion of H2O molecules in a process chamber, the process chamber having an inner surface on which an alumite film is formed by anodizing; and, after the step of adjusting the proportion of H2O molecules, forming a substrate product by arranging the first semiconductor substrate in the process chamber and etching the stacked semiconductor layer using a dry etching method in which a halogen-based gas is used as an etching gas. In addition, the step of adjusting the proportion of H2O molecules in the process chamber includes a first substep of evacuating the process chamber; a second substep of dry-cleaning the inner surface of the process chamber; and a third substep of generating a plasma in the process chamber using a halogen-based gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Yukihiro Tsuji
  • Patent number: 9490899
    Abstract: An optical tunable transmitter is used to transmit multiple radio frequency bands on a single beam. More specifically, a tunable laser is configured to generate a plurality of optical wavelengths, and an optical tunable transmitter is configured to modulate each of the plurality of optical wavelengths with a corresponding radio frequency band. The optical tunable transmitter is also configured to encode each of the plurality of modulated optical wavelengths onto a single laser beam for transmission of a plurality of radio frequency bands using the single laser beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Hung Nguyen, Rainee N. Simons, Edwin G. Wintucky, Jon C. Freeman
  • Patent number: 9479280
    Abstract: An extended cavity Fabry-Perot laser assembly provides relatively narrow mode spacing while allowing relatively high speed optical modulation. The extended cavity Fabry-Perot laser assembly generally includes an exit reflector physically separated from a laser emitter (e.g., a gain chip) to extend the lasing cavity and narrow the mode spacing while maintaining a relatively small gain region in the laser emitter capable of higher speed optical modulation. The extended cavity Fabry-Perot laser assembly may be used in a multi-channel transmitter in a wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) optical system that selects a channel wavelength for the transmitter from among multiple channel wavelengths emitted by the laser assembly. The narrow mode spacing may be less than a WDM channel width, and more specifically, may be less than a channel passband of an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) or other filter used to select the channel wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Applied Optoelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Jun Zheng, Stefan J. Murry
  • Patent number: 9473247
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a device and a method for conversion from optical double-sideband modulation signals to optical single-sideband modulation signals. Period-one nonlinear dynamics of semiconductor lasers is utilized to achieve such optical signal conversion. Only a typical semiconductor laser is required as the key conversion unit. The microwave and data quality are maintained or even improved after conversion, increasing detection sensitivity, transmission distance, and link gain of the communication networks. The device is relatively less sensitive to ambient variations, can be self-adapted to changes in operating conditions, and can be applied for a broad range of operating microwave frequency up to at least 80 GHz and a high data rate up to at least 2.5 Gbits/s. The device can therefore be dynamically reconfigured for different communication networks adopting different operating microwave frequencies and different data rates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: NATIONAL CHENG KUNG UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Sheng-Kwang Hwang, Yu-Han Hung, Cheng-Hao Chu
  • Patent number: 9440879
    Abstract: A graphene coated optic fiber is disclosed. An optic fiber core is encapsulated within a graphene capsule. An optic fiber having cladding layer encapsulated within a graphene capsule is also disclosed. The graphene capsule may comprise a single layer of graphene, bi-layer of graphene, or multiple layers of graphene. An optical circuit is disclosed that transmits ultraviolet light across an optic fiber encapsulated with graphene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Inventor: Tyson York Winarski
  • Patent number: 9425577
    Abstract: An optical fiber includes a first optical fiber body, a second optical fiber body and a first end cap. The first optical fiber body includes a first core and a first cladding. The second optical fiber body includes a second core and a second cladding, and is joined at a first end surface thereof to a first end surface of the first optical fiber body. The first end cap has light permeability and is joined to a second end surface of the second optical fiber body. The first core is doped with a laser medium. A mass content of the laser medium in the second core is lower than that of the laser medium in the first core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Mitsuboshi Diamond Industrial Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Christian Schaefer, Masanao Murakami
  • Patent number: 9417183
    Abstract: A terahertz wave temporal waveform acquisition apparatus includes a light source, a branch part, a terahertz wave generation element, a terahertz wave detection element, a delay providing medium, a temperature adjustment unit, and an analysis unit. The delay providing medium is disposed on an optical path of a terahertz wave from the terahertz wave generation element to the terahertz wave detection element, is formed of a material of which a refractive index for the terahertz wave depends on the temperature, and provides a delay according to the temperature to the terahertz wave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Atsushi Nakanishi, Kazuki Horita, Takashi Yasuda
  • Patent number: 9419728
    Abstract: An electric power transmission system includes an electrical-optical conversion device and multiple photoelectric conversion devices converting electricity to light. The electrical-optical conversion device includes a high-voltage source, a laser diode unit, a light combiner, and multiple optical fibers. The laser diodes receive the high-voltage source. The light combiner includes multiple first input ends and multiple first output ends. A first optical fiber interconnects a laser diode and a first input end. An end of a third optical fiber optically connects to a first output end. Each photoelectric conversion device includes a second light splitter, further optical fibers, and a photodiode unit. The second light splitter includes a third input end and a plurality of third output ends. The third input end optically connects to another end of a third optical fiber. A fourth optical fiber optically interconnects a third output end and a photodiode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yi-Zhong Sheu
  • Patent number: 9344307
    Abstract: The invention pertains to methods, apparatus, and systems for controlling the sub-carrier frequencies in an optical frequency division multiplex communication system by using a metric available from the sub-carrier modem's digital receive block as an indicator of cross-talk between sub-carriers and adjusting the sub-carrier frequency separation as a function of that metric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Ciena Corporation
    Inventors: Gary Mak, Edgar Velez
  • Patent number: 9337607
    Abstract: A laser includes a total reflective mirror, an output mirror, a discharge lamp, and an active laser medium. The total reflective mirror, the output mirror, and the discharge lamp define a resonant cavity. The active laser medium is filled in the resonant cavity. The total reflective mirror includes a body, a metal film, and at least one microstructure. The at least one microstructure has a height and a lateral size, and both the height and the lateral size are in a range from about 0.5? to about 2?, while ? is a working wavelength of the laser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignees: Tsinghua University, HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jun Zhu, Jing-Lei Zhu, Qun-Qing Li, Kai-Li Jiang, Chen Feng, Guo-Fan Jin, Shou-Shan Fan
  • Patent number: 9337623
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for high density laser optics are provided. An example, of a laser optics apparatus includes a plurality of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) in a monolithically integrated array, a high contrast grating (HCG) integrated with an aperture of a vertical cavity of each of the plurality of the VCSELs to enable emission of a single lasing wavelength of a plurality of lasing wavelengths, and a plurality of single mode waveguides, each integrated with a grating coupler, that are connected to each of the plurality of the integrated VCSELs and the HCGs, where each of the grating couplers is aligned to an integrated VCSEL and HCG.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
    Inventors: Michael Renne Ty Tan, David A. Fattal, Wayne Victor Sorin, Sagi Mathai
  • Patent number: 9316532
    Abstract: A wavelength monitor monitors wavelengths of laser beams emitted from a laser source and transmitted through a collimating lens. The wavelength monitor comprises an etalon that serves as an optical filter, and an optical detector. The etalon has a transmittance that is periodic with respect to a frequency, and is disposed such that a pair of collimated beams, emitted through a pair of emitting ports of the laser source and then transmitted through the collimating lens, is incident on the optical filter at symmetrically positive and negative angles. The optical detector receives the pair of collimated beams transmitted through the etalon, and detects the intensities of the pair of collimated beams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Keita Mochizuki
  • Patent number: 9300109
    Abstract: A servo system includes multiple servo channels being driven by a common error signal. Each channel has a controller that receives an error signal and provides a drive signal to a driver. The servo channels are arranged serially, with a drive signal from one controller forming the error signal for a downstream controller. As a result, the downstream controller does not attempt to correct for phase error directly, but instead attempts to keep the upstream driver at or near its operational midpoint. The servo channels can be arranged in order of decreasing controller bandwidth, from fastest to slowest. In contrast with a parallel configuration, in which servo channels all simultaneously receive a common error signal, the serial configuration can allow each controller to use its full bandwidth, can eliminate crosstalk between servo channels, and can prevent saturation of upstream drive signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Kevin Knabe, Andrew N. Daniele, Victor Leyva
  • Patent number: 9293884
    Abstract: High power parallel fiber arrays for the amplification of high peak power pulses are described. Fiber arrays based on individual fiber amplifiers as well as fiber arrays based on multi-core fibers can be implemented. The optical phase between the individual fiber amplifier elements of the fiber array is measured and controlled using a variety of phase detection and compensation techniques. High power fiber array amplifiers can be used for EUV and X-ray generation as well as pumping of parametric amplifiers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: IMRA AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Martin Fermann, Ingmar Hartl, Andrius Marcinkevicius, Liang Dong
  • Patent number: 9236708
    Abstract: A laser includes an optically pumped semiconductor OPS gain-structure. The apparatus has a laser-resonator which includes a mode-locking device for causing the laser to deliver mode-locked pulses. The resonator has a total length selected such that the mode-locked pulses are delivered at a pulse repetition frequency less than 150 MHz. An optical arrangement within the resonator provides that radiation circulating in the resonator makes a plurality of incidences on the OPS gain-structure with a time less than the excited-state lifetime of the gain-structure between successive incidences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: Coherent, Inc.
    Inventors: Ian MacGillivray, Andrea Caprara, Sergei Govorkov
  • Patent number: 9207063
    Abstract: Discloses is an optical coherence tomography (OCT) which uses an active mode-locking fiber laser in order to obtain image information of a sample. An imaging device in accordance with an embodiment comprises: a light source unit; a light separation unit; a reference unit; a diagnostic unit; a light coupling unit; and a signal processing unit. The imaging device removes a high-priced variable filter which has mechanical restrictions by directly delivering a modulation signal to a light source unit, so it can overcome mechanical restrictions and reduce costs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: PUSAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY INDUSTRY-UNIVERSITY COOPERATION FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Chang Seok Kim, Myung Yung Jeong, Hwi Don Lee
  • Patent number: 9170162
    Abstract: A bidirectional beam director includes a pair of optically coupled diffraction gratings, each being independently rotatable so that a laser beam passing through the pair of gratings can be steered by rotation of at least one of the gratings. The bidirectional beam can be coupled to many types of optical systems, including optical phased arrays, multi-beam laser transmitters and receivers, telescopes, and high energy laser beam control systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Inventor: Richard A. Hutchin
  • Patent number: 9170108
    Abstract: A light-source system to output at least one stable phase modulated coherent light beam is provided. The light-source system includes a multi-frequency laser system, at least one phase modulator, at least one feedback photodetector, and at least one modulation servo. The multi-frequency laser system emits a reference light beam and provides at least one unmodulated-light beam having a respective at least one carrier frequency offset from the reference carrier frequency. The phase modulator modulates the unmodulated-light beam provided by the multi-frequency laser system. The frequency-selection device monitors a frequency component of interest. The feedback photodetector provides information indicative of beat frequencies between the reference light beam and the modulated-light beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Tiequn Qiu, Glen A. Sanders, Jianfeng Wu, Lee K. Strandjord
  • Patent number: 9116116
    Abstract: Provided is an optical analyzer which can promote enhancement of measurement sensitivity, cost reduction, size reduction, structural flexibility, disturbance resistance, and the like, at the same time. A laser device to be used in such optical analyzer is also provided. An optical analyzer comprises a laser light source (2); a wavelength selection element (3) for selecting and leading out light having a wavelength substantially equal to the absorption wavelength of an analysis object from among light outputted from the laser light source (2); an optical detection means (5) for detecting the intensity of light red out from the wavelength selection element (3); and a drive current control means (6) for increasing or decreasing the drive current of the laser light source (2) near a specified current value thereof for outputting light of the absorption wavelength, and setting the drive current at such a current value as the intensity of light detected by the optical detection means (5) has a peak value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: HORIBA, LTD.
    Inventors: Juichiro Ukon, Takuya Ido, Susumu Mimura
  • Patent number: 9093822
    Abstract: A multi-band scalable output power laser system configured to have high brightness and output power in each band is accomplished by combining multiple laser modules, with each producing at least one band, and wherein at least one of the laser modules is based on a wavelength beam combining (WBC) system, into a multi-band free-space cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: TeraDiode, Inc.
    Inventors: Bien Chann, Robin Huang
  • Patent number: 9079355
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for making a three-dimensional object from a solidifiable material using a linear solidification device is shown and described. In certain examples, the linear solidification device includes a laser diode that projects light onto a scanning device, such as a rotating polygonal mirror or a linear scanning micromirror, which then deflects the light onto a photohardenable resin. As a result, the linear solidification device scans a line of solidification energy in a direction that is substantially orthogonal to the direction of travel of the laser diode. In other examples, the linear solidification device is a laser device array or light emitting diode array that extends in a direction substantially orthogonal to the direction of travel of the array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: Global Filtration Systems
    Inventors: Ali El-Siblani, Alexandr Shkolnik
  • Patent number: 9073262
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for making a three-dimensional object from a solidifiable material using a linear solidification device is shown and described. In certain examples, the linear solidification device includes a laser diode that projects light onto a scanning device, such as a rotating polygonal mirror or a linear scanning micromirror, which then deflects the light onto a photohardenable resin. As a result, the linear solidification device scans a line of solidification energy in a direction that is substantially orthogonal to the direction of travel of the laser diode. In other examples, the linear solidification device is a laser device array or light emitting diode array that extends in a direction substantially orthogonal to the direction of travel of the array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: Global Filtration Systems
    Inventors: Ali El-Siblani, Alexandr Shkolnik
  • Patent number: 9073261
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for making a three-dimensional object from a solidifiable material using a linear solidification device is shown and described. In certain examples, the linear solidification device includes a laser diode that projects light onto a scanning device, such as a rotating polygonal mirror or a linear scanning micromirror, which then deflects the light onto a photohardenable resin. As a result, the linear solidification device scans a line of solidification energy in a direction that is substantially orthogonal to the direction of travel of the laser diode. In other examples, the linear solidification device is a laser device array or light emitting diode array that extends in a direction substantially orthogonal to the direction of travel of the array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: Global Filtration Systems
    Inventors: Ali El-Siblani, Alexandr Shkolnik
  • Patent number: 9073260
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for making a three-dimensional object from a solidifiable material using a linear solidification device is shown and described. In certain examples, the linear solidification device includes a laser diode that projects light onto a linear scanning device, such as a rotating polygonal mirror or a linear scanning micromirror, which then deflects the light onto a photohardenable resin. As a result, the linear solidification device scans a line of solidification energy in a direction that is substantially orthogonal to the direction of travel of the laser diode. In other examples, the linear solidification device is a laser device array or light emitting diode array that extends in a direction substantially orthogonal to the direction of travel of the array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: Global Filtration Systems
    Inventors: Ali El-Siblani, Alexandr Shkolnik
  • Patent number: 9048626
    Abstract: The present invention features a laser based system configured with a noise detection unit. The system includes a mode-locked oscillator. A noise detection unit includes at least one optical detector that monitors optical pulses generated by the mode-locked oscillator and produces an electrical signal in response to the optical pulses. The noise detection unit includes a first filter to transmit signal power over a signal bandwidth which includes the mode-locked laser repetition frequency, frep. The noise detection unit may include one or more filters to transmit power over a noise bandwidth that substantially excludes repetition frequency, frep. Non-linear signal processing equipment is utilized to generate one or more signals representative of the power in the signal bandwidth relative to the power in the noise bandwidth. The system includes a controller operable to generate a signal for controlling the laser based system based on the relative power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: IMRA AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Ingmar Hartl, Christian Mohr
  • Patent number: 9036668
    Abstract: A method for quasi-synchronous tuning of wavelength or frequency of grating external-cavity semiconductor laser and a corresponding semiconductor laser are provided. A grating or mirror is rotated around a quasi-synchronous tuning point (Pq) as rotation center, so as to achieve the frequency selections by grating and resonance cavity in quasi-synchronous tuning, wherein the angle of the line between the quasi-synchronous tuning point (Pq) and a conventional synchronous tuning point (P0) with respect to the direction of light incident on the grating is determined according to the angle difference between the incidence angle and diffraction angle of light on the grating. According to present invention, approximately synchronous tuning of laser is achieved with a simple and flexible design.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF METROLOGY P.R. CHINA
    Inventors: Erjun Zang, Jianping Cao, Ye Li, Zhanjun Fang
  • Patent number: 9036971
    Abstract: Frequency standards based on mode-locked fiber lasers, fiber amplifiers and fiber-based ultra-broad bandwidth light sources, and applications of the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: IMRA AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Ingmar Hartl, Martin Fermann
  • Patent number: 9014222
    Abstract: A discretely tunable laser device is provided. The discretely tunable laser device comprises: a laser comprising a plurality of discrete output modes; an optical filter for receiving output from the laser but otherwise optically isolated from the laser, the optical filter comprising a plurality of transmission peaks, each separated by a transmission spacing different from a spacing of the plurality of discrete output modes such that only one discrete output mode can predominantly align with one transmission peak when the plurality of discrete output modes are tuned; and, a control apparatus for tuning the discrete output modes of the laser to align a given output mode of the plurality of discrete output modes with a given transmission peak of the plurality of transmission peaks, such that the given output mode comprises a dominant output of the optical filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Ranovus Inc.
    Inventor: Douglas J. S. Beckett
  • Patent number: 8995478
    Abstract: The device is proposed which provides mode-locked operation of a fiber laser. The principle of its operation is based on a focusing effect of Kerr lens. At high intensities of the light beam the Kerr element exhibits light focusing properties. The beam focused by the Kerr element enters a fiber core without losses thus providing an effective generation of mode-locked laser. In the preferred embodiment the Kerr element is positioned at one degree relative to a perpendicular to the beam direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Tekhnoscan-Lab LLC
    Inventors: Sergey Mikhailovich Kobtsev, Sergey Vladimirovich Kukarin, Liudmila Pavlovna Simonova
  • Publication number: 20150085885
    Abstract: A pulsed laser comprises an oscillator and amplifier. An attenuator and/or pre-compressor may be disposed between the oscillator and amplifier to improve performance and possibly the quality of pulses output from the laser. Such pre-compression may be implemented with spectral filters and/or dispersive elements between the oscillator and amplifier. The pulsed laser may have a modular design comprising modular devices that may have Telcordia-graded quality and reliability. Fiber pigtails extending from the device modules can be spliced together to form laser system. In one embodiment, a laser system operating at approximately 1050 nm comprises an oscillator having a spectral bandwidth of approximately 19 nm. This oscillator signal can be manipulated to generate a pulse having a width below approximately 90 fs. A modelocked linear fiber laser cavity with enhanced pulse-width control includes concatenated sections of both polarization-maintaining and non-polarization-maintaining fibers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2013
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Applicant: IMRA America, Inc.
    Inventors: Xinhua Gu, Mark Bendett, Gyu Cheon Cho, Martin E. Fermann
  • Patent number: 8989224
    Abstract: There is disclosed an apparatus for femtosecond laser optically pumped by a laser diode pumping module that is able to mechanically couple optical mounts for mounting optical mounts to each other by using a bar with a low thermal expansion coefficient and to form a light pumping module distant from a laser platform or a case, to provide a stable mode locking for an ultrashort laser and to enhance a power stability and a beam stability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute
    Inventors: Guang Hoon Kim, Uk Kang, Ju Hee Yang, Elena Sall, Sergey Chizhov, Andrey Kulik