Mode Discrimination Patents (Class 372/19)
  • Patent number: 11888290
    Abstract: An optical apparatus comprises a semiconductor substrate, and a supermode filtering waveguide (SFW) emitter disposed on the semiconductor substrate. The SFW emitter comprises a first optical waveguide, a spacer layer, and a second optical waveguide spaced apart from the first optical waveguide by the spacer layer. The second optical waveguide is evanescently coupled with the first optical waveguide and is configured, in conjunction with the first waveguide, to selectively propagate only a first mode of a plurality of optical modes. The SFW emitter further comprises an optically active region disposed in one of the first optical waveguide and the second optical waveguide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Dominic F. Siriani, Kenneth J. Thomson
  • Patent number: 11664636
    Abstract: A method and system for amplifying seed laser radiation which is irradiated along an irradiation direction into a lasing amplification medium has a transverse seed laser intensity profile that is transformed into a plateaued input intensity profile by a transformer element on the irradiation side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Amphos GmbH
    Inventors: Claus Schnitzler, Jan Dolkemeyer, Torsten Mans
  • Patent number: 11539186
    Abstract: An optical apparatus comprises a semiconductor substrate, and a supermode filtering waveguide (SFW) emitter disposed on the semiconductor substrate. The SFW emitter comprises a first optical waveguide, a spacer layer, and a second optical waveguide spaced apart from the first optical waveguide by the spacer layer. The second optical waveguide is evanescently coupled with the first optical waveguide and is configured, in conjunction with the first waveguide, to selectively propagate only a first mode of a plurality of optical modes. The SFW emitter further comprises an optically active region disposed in one of the first optical waveguide and the second optical waveguide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Dominic F. Siriani, Kenneth J. Thomson
  • Patent number: 11522344
    Abstract: A closely spaced emitter array may include a first emitter comprising a first plurality of structures and a second emitter, adjacent to the first emitter, comprising a second plurality of structures. The first emitter and the second emitter may be configured in the closely spaced emitter array such that different types of structures between the first plurality of structures and the second plurality of structures do not overlap while maintaining close spacing between the first emitter and the second emitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Lumentum Operations LLC
    Inventors: Ajit Vijay Barve, Benjamin Kesler, Matthew Glenn Peters
  • Patent number: 11482831
    Abstract: Provided is a laser device in which: a laser medium doped with ytterbium emits light upon absorption of excitation light; the light emitted by the laser medium is amplified to obtain output light; and the output light is outputted in the form of a plurality of pulses. In the laser device, a spatial filter is disposed in the optical path of the light emitted by the laser medium or is disposed in the optical path of the output light outputted from an optical resonator, the spatial filter being configured to filter out a portion of the light or of the output light around the optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology
    Inventors: Yutaka Akahane, Makoto Aoyama, Kanade Ogawa, Koichi Yamakawa
  • Patent number: 11333551
    Abstract: A system for performing spectroscopy on a target is provided. In some aspects, the system includes an optical assembly that includes an optical source configured to generate light at one or more frequencies to be directed to a target. The optical assembly also includes at least one optical filter configured to select desired light signals coming from the target, wherein the at least one optical filter comprises an etalon and at least one reflecting surface external to the etalon, the at least one reflecting surface being configured to redirect to the etalon, at least once, an incident beam reflected from the etalon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation
    Inventors: Seok-Hyun Yun, Peng Shao
  • Patent number: 11121526
    Abstract: In various embodiments, emitter modules include a laser source and (a) a refractive optic, (b) an output coupler, or (c) both a refractive optic and an output coupler. Either or both of these may be situated on mounts that facilitate two-axis rotation. The mount may be, for example, a conventional, rotatively adjustable “tip/tilt” mount or gimbal arrangement. In the case of the refractive optic, either the optic itself or the beam path may be adjusted; that is, the optic may be on a tip/tilt mount or the optic may be replaced with two or more mirrors each on tip/tilt mount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Bryan Lochman, Matthew Sauter, Bien Chann, Wang-Long Zhou
  • Patent number: 11088510
    Abstract: A fabrication sequence for an oxide-confined VCSEL includes the deposition of a protective coating over exposed horizontal surfaces to prevent unwanted oxide layers from being formed during the lateral oxidation process used to create the oxide aperture. By preventing the oxidation of these surfaces in the first instance, the opportunity for moisture to gain access to the active region of the VCSEL is eliminated. For example, exposed Al-containing surfaces are covered with a protective coating of dielectric material prior to initiating the conventional lateral oxidation process used to form the oxide aperture of the VCSEL. With the protective coating in place, a conventional fabrication process is resumed, and the protective coating ultimately forms part of the passivation layer used to provide electrical isolation for the final VCSEL device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: II-VI Delaware, Inc.
    Inventors: Lukas Mutter, Norbert Lichtenstein
  • Patent number: 11063404
    Abstract: Disclosed are embodiments of bidirectionally emitting semiconductor (BEST) laser architectures including higher order mode suppression structures. The higher order mode suppression structures are centrally located and extend from an inner transition boundary, which may be established by confronting high reflector (HR) facets in some embodiments or a central plane defining two sides of a unitary, bidirectional optical cavity in other embodiments. Examples of the higher order mode suppression structures include narrow regions of bidirectional flared laser oscillator waveguide (FLOW) devices, which are also referred to as reduced mode diode (REM) devices; high-index regions of bidirectional higher-order mode suppressed laser (HOMSL) devices; and non- or less-etched gain-guided lateral waveguides of bidirectional low divergence semiconductor laser (LODSL) devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: nLIGHT, Inc.
    Inventor: Manoj Kanskar
  • Patent number: 10989450
    Abstract: A solid-state optical refrigerator for cryogenic cooling of a payload, the solid-state optical refrigerator including a laser cooling crystal including a first material and a dopant material; a thermal link including a second material, the thermal link being bonded to the laser cooling crystal and the thermal link being configured to be thermally linked to the payload to transfer heat conductively from the payload to the laser cooling crystal via the thermal link; and a vacuum chamber housing the laser cooling crystal and the thermal link, the vacuum chamber and thermal link having a combination of shape and coating such that laser and fluorescence light reflected off a wall of the vacuum chamber and laser and fluorescence light propagating within the thermal link are not incident on the payload.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Triad National Security, LLC
    Inventor: Markus Peter Hehlen
  • Patent number: 10790632
    Abstract: A laser system involving coupled distributed resonators disposed serially, with the lasing gain medium located in the main resonator and the output of that resonator being directed into a free space resonator, such that the main resonator output mirror is effectively the free space resonator. The distributed resonators end mirrors are retroreflectors. Interference occurs between light traveling towards the remote mirror of the free space resonator and light reflected therefrom, generating regions of high reflectivity. The coupling of the free space resonator to the regions of high reflectivity of the free space resonator enables the first resonator to lase efficiently, even though the true reflectivity of the main resonator output mirror outside of those regions is insufficient to enable efficient lasing, if at all. This coupled resonator structure enables lasing to occur with a high field of view and the high gain engendered by the high reflectivity regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: Wi-Charge Ltd.
    Inventors: Ortal Alpert, Eitan Ronen, Omer Nahmias, Ori Refael Mor, Lior Golan, Ran Sagi
  • Patent number: 10777968
    Abstract: A laser diode vertical epitaxial structure, comprising a transverse waveguide comprising an active layer between an n-type semiconductor layer and a p-type semiconductor layer wherein the transverse waveguide is bounded by a lower index n-cladding layer on an n-side of the transverse waveguide and a lower index p-cladding layer on a p-side of the transverse waveguide, a lateral waveguide that is orthogonal to the transverse waveguide, wherein the lateral waveguide is bounded in a longitudinal direction at a first end by a facet coated with a high reflector (HR) coating and at a second end by a facet coated with a partial reflector (PR) coating and a higher order mode suppression layer (HOMSL) disposed adjacent to at least one lateral side of the lateral waveguide and that extends in a longitudinal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: NLIGHT, INC.
    Inventors: Manoj Kanskar, Zhigang Chen
  • Patent number: 10732105
    Abstract: A system adapted for characterizing gain chips and a method for characterizing gain chips are disclosed. The system includes a probe light source that generates an output light signal characterized by a wavelength that can be varied in response to a wavelength control signal and a mounting stage adapted for receiving a gain chip characterized by a waveguide having a reflective face on a first surface of the gain chip and a transparent face on a second surface of the gain chip. The system also includes an optical system that focuses the output light signal into the waveguide through the transparent face; and a controller that causes the probe light source to generate the output light signal and measures an intensity of light both with and without the gain chip being powered for each of a plurality of different wavelengths to form a gain profile for the gain chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Guthrie Partridge
  • Patent number: 10669360
    Abstract: Various embodiments provide dye-doped polystyrene microspheres generated using dispersion polymerization. Polystyrene microspheres may be doped with fluorescent dyes, such as xanthene derivatives including Kiton Red 620 (KR620), using dispersion polymerization. Certain functionalities, such as sodium styrene sulfonate, may be used to shift the equilibrium distribution of dye molecules to favor incorporation of the dye into the particles. Polyelectrolyte materials, such as poly(diallyldimethyl ammnonium chloride), PolyDADMAC, may be used to electrostatically trap and bind dye molecules within the particles. A buffer may be used to stabilize the pH change of the solution during dye-doped polystyrene microsphere generation and the buffer may be selected depending on the pKa of the dye being incorporated. The various embodiments may provide dye-doped polystyrene microspheres, such as KR620-doped polystyrene microspheres that are non-toxic and non-carcinogenic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AS REPRESENTED BY THE ADMINISTRATOR OF NASA
    Inventors: Christopher J. Wohl, Jr., Pacita I. Tiemsin, Paul M. Danehy, Jason E. Danley
  • Patent number: 10574029
    Abstract: A photonic crystal device includes a two-dimensional crystal including a gain medium and having a first photonic crystal resonator and a second photonic crystal resonator spaced apart from each other and a graphene layer disposed to cover a portion of the first photonic crystal resonator and not to cover the second photonic crystal resonator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: Korea University Research and Business Foundation
    Inventors: Min-Soo Hwang, Hong-Gyu Park, Kyoung-Ho Kim, Jae-Hyuck Choi, Ha-Reem Kim, You-Shin No
  • Patent number: 10411434
    Abstract: The invention relates to a semiconductor structure, including: a semiconductor layer, including a membrane suspended above a carrier layer, the suspended membrane being formed of a central section, which is tensilely stressed and of a plurality of tensioning arms; and least one optical cavity, bounded by two optical reflectors, which are placed in the lateral sections on either side of the central section; wherein: the central section is designed to transmit in the direction of the optical reflectors at least one uneven-order mode; and each of said optical reflectors is formed of two lateral half-reflectors, which are arranged on either side of a longitudinal axis of the lateral section, so as to at least partially reflect said uneven-order mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: Commissariat A L'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives
    Inventors: Vincent Reboud, Salim Boutami
  • Patent number: 10396528
    Abstract: Provided is a laser device according to an embodiment of the inventive concept. The laser device includes: a semiconductor substrate; a germanium single crystal layer on the semiconductor substrate; and a pumping light source disposed on the germanium single crystal layer and configured to emit light toward the germanium single crystal layer, wherein the germanium single crystal layer receives the light to thereby output laser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: In Gyoo Kim, Gyungock Kim, Sang Hoon Kim
  • Patent number: 10360922
    Abstract: A noise reduction device includes an acoustic characteristic determination unit, a microphone pair selection unit, and a noise reduction unit. The acoustic characteristic determination unit determines, using one of microphone pair signals obtained from a plurality of microphone pairs, whether acoustic characteristics of each of the plurality of microphone pairs satisfy a certain requirement. The microphone pair selection unit selects, from among the plurality of microphone pairs, a target microphone pair whose acoustic characteristics have been determined to satisfy the certain requirement. The noise reduction unit reduces, using a microphone pair signal obtained from the target microphone pair, noise included in an input signal obtained from at least one of microphone signals output from a plurality of microphones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tsuyoki Nishikawa, Kohhei Hayashida
  • Patent number: 10236662
    Abstract: The teachings herein disclose a laser assembly (20) that implements a “composite cavity” formed in part in a III/V die (22), in part in a silicon die (26), and in part in a glass member (24) having a waveguide (44) coupling the cavity portion in the III/V die with the cavity portion in the silicon die. This arrangement capitalizes on the lasing efficiency of the III/V die, which is used as the gain medium while advantageously using the glass member to extend the lasing cavity into the silicon die. Laser-scribing the cavity waveguide in place after mounting the III/V die, the silicon die or dies, and the glass member, greatly relaxes the mounting alignment precision needed for the constituent parts of the overall assembly. Moreover, in one or more embodiments, glass member includes one or more laser-scribed waveguides operative as optical interconnects going between two or more silicon dies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
    Inventors: Mehrdad Mir Shafiei, Robert Brunner, Stephane Lessard
  • Patent number: 10224689
    Abstract: A Q-switched CO2 laser material processing system with acousto-optic modulators (AOM) is employed, on the one hand, inside the resonator for Q-switching the CO2 laser and, on the other hand, externally for efficient suppression of the radiation feedback between a laser and workpiece. The frequency shift of the radiation diffracted at the AOM is taken into account which exactly corresponds to the excitation frequency of the acoustic wave in the AOM crystal under the aspect of the amplification of the radiation in the active medium. Since this frequency shift significantly reduces the amplification of the radiation, it has to be avoided in the Q-switching process, which is achieved, by means of a tandem of two AOMs with identical excitation frequencies but with the acoustic waves propagating in opposite directions in the crystal. The frequency shift advantageously suppresses radiation feedback between the laser and workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: FEHA LASERTEC GMBH
    Inventor: Gisbert Staupendahl
  • Patent number: 10193297
    Abstract: A laser system involving coupled distributed resonators disposed serially, with the lasing gain medium located in the main resonator and the output of that resonator being directed into a free space resonator, such that the main resonator output mirror is effectively the free space resonator. The distributed resonators end mirrors are retroreflectors. Interference occurs between light traveling towards the remote mirror of the free space resonator and light reflected therefrom, generating regions of high reflectivity. The coupling of the free space resonator to the regions of high reflectivity of the free space resonator enables the first resonator to lase efficiently, even though the true reflectivity of the main resonator output mirror outside of those regions is insufficient to enable efficient lasing, if at all. This coupled resonator structure enables lasing to occur with a high field of view and the high gain engendered by the high reflectivity regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Wi-Charge Ltd.
    Inventors: Ortal Alpert, Eitan Ronen, Omer Nahmias, Ori Refael Mor, Lior Golan, Ran Sagi
  • Patent number: 10193305
    Abstract: A wavelength tunable laser device includes: a laser cavity formed of a grating and a reflecting mirror including a ring resonator filter; a gain portion; and a phase adjusting portion. The grating creates a first comb-shaped reflection spectrum. The ring resonator filter includes a ring-shaped waveguide and two arms and creates a second comb-shaped reflection spectrum having peaks of a narrower full width than peaks in the first comb-shaped reflection spectrum at a wavelength interval different from that of the first comb-shaped reflection spectrum. One of the peaks in the first comb-shaped reflection spectrum and one of the peaks in the second comb-shaped reflection spectrum are overlapped on a wavelength axis, and a spacing between cavity modes is narrower than the full width at half maximum of the peaks in the first comb-shaped reflection spectrum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: FURUKAWA ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasumasa Kawakita, Yasutaka Higa, Norihiro Iwai, Tatsuro Kurobe
  • Patent number: 10190970
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a sensor using a tilted fiber grating to detect physical manifestations occurring in a medium. Such physical manifestations induce measurable changes in the optical property of the tilted fiber grating. The sensor comprises a sensing surface which is to be exposed to the medium, an optical pathway and a tilted grating in the optical pathway. The grating is responsive to electromagnetic radiation propagating in the optical pathway to generate a response conveying information on the physical manifestation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: WEATHERFORD CANADA LTD
    Inventors: Jacques Albert, Chengkun Chen, Yanina Shevchenko, Alexei Ivanov
  • Patent number: 10165665
    Abstract: A laser beam having desired properties is output at desired timings. A laser apparatus is a laser apparatus for use with an extreme ultraviolet light generating apparatus that generates extreme ultraviolet light at a repetition frequency which is set in advance, and may be equipped with: a semiconductor laser that outputs a laser beam when a trigger signal is input thereto; an optical switch that switches between a state in which the laser beam passes therethrough and a state in which the laser beam does not pass therethrough, provided along the optical path of the laser beam; and a control unit configured to output the trigger signal to the semiconductor laser at a frequency which is an integer multiple of the repetition frequency, and to control the optical switch such that the laser beam passes therethrough at the repetition frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventor: Seiji Nogiwa
  • Patent number: 10116113
    Abstract: There are provided: a planar waveguide in which claddings (2) and (3) each having a smaller refractive index than a laser medium for absorbing pump light (5) are bonded to an upper surface (1a) and a lower surface (1b) of a core (1) which is formed from the laser medium; pump light generation sources (4a) and (4b) for emitting pump light (5) to side surfaces (1c) and (1d) of the core (1); and laser light high reflection films (6a) and (6b) formed on side surfaces (1e) and (1f) of the core (1). Each of side surfaces (2e) and (2f) of the cladding (2) corresponding to the side surfaces (1e) and (1f) of the core (1) has a ridge structure (20) in which a part thereof is recessed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Sakimura, Yuhi Kono, Kohei Sakai, Yukari Takada, Yojiro Watanabe, Fumio Shoda, Takayuki Yanagisawa
  • Patent number: 10043946
    Abstract: A method of fabricating LEDs from a wafer comprising a substrate and epitaxial layers and having a substrate side and a epitaxial side, said method comprising: (a) applying a laser beam across at least one of said substrate side or said epitaxial side of said wafer to define at least one laser-scribed recess having a laser-machined surface; and (b) singulating said wafer along said laser-scribed recess to form singulated LEDs, said singulated LEDs having a top surface, a bottom surface, and a plurality of sidewalls, at least one of said sidewalls comprising at least a first portion comprising at least a portion of said laser-machined surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: Soraa, Inc.
    Inventors: Rafael Aldaz, Aurelien J. F. David, Daniel F. Feezell, Thomas M. Katona, Rajat Sharma, Michael J. Cich
  • Patent number: 9973283
    Abstract: An optical coupling system includes an optical signal source to provide an optical signal from an aperture. The system also includes a substantially planar high-contrast grating (HCG) lens to convert an optical mode of the optical signal to provide a converted optical signal having a mode-isolating intensity profile. The system further includes an optical element to receive the converted optical signal. The optical signal source and the substantially planar HCG lens can be arranged to substantially mitigate coupling of a reflected optical signal associated with the converted optical signal that is reflected from the optical element to the aperture of the optical signal source based on a reflected mode-isolating intensity profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
    Inventors: Wayne Victor Sorin, Sonny Vo, David A. Fattal, Michael Renne Ty Tan
  • Patent number: 9819147
    Abstract: A method to tune an emission wavelength of a wavelength tunable laser apparatus is disclosed. The laser apparatus implements, in addition to a wavelength tunable laser diode (t-LD) integrating with a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA), a wavelength monitor including an etalon filter. The current emission wavelength is determined by a ratio of the magnitude of a filtered beam passing the etalon filter to a raw beam not passing the etalon filter. The method first sets the SOA in an absorbing mode to sense stray component disturbing the wavelength monitor, then correct the ratio of the beams by subtracting the contribution from the stray component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Device Innovations, Inc.
    Inventors: Hirokazu Tanaka, Tetsufumi Odagawa, Hiromitsu Kawamura, Masao Shibata
  • Patent number: 9806498
    Abstract: A vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser diode includes: a first resonator that has a plurality of semiconductor layers comprising a first current narrowing structure having a first conductive region and a first non-conductor region; a first electrode that supplies electric power to drive the first resonator; a second resonator that has a plurality of semiconductor layers comprising a second current narrowing structure having a second conductive region and a second non-conductive region and that is formed side by side with the first resonator, the second current narrowing structure being formed in same current narrowing layer as the layer where the first current narrowing structure is formed; and a coupling portion as defined herein; and an equivalent refractive index of the coupling portion is smaller than an equivalent refractive index of each of the first resonator and the second resonator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignees: TOKYO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Fumio Koyama, Hamed Dalir, Takashi Kondo, Naoki Jogan, Kazutaka Takeda, Hideo Nakayama
  • Patent number: 9689603
    Abstract: A refrigerator includes a body including a storage chamber; a door that is coupled to the body so as to open/close the storage chamber; a display that is disposed in at least one region of the door and is configured to be converted between a transparent mode and a display mode; and a controller that controls the display to display at least one among a text, an image, and color when the display is in the display mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignees: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., NDIS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hee Yuel Roh, Soon-Bum Kwon, Kyoung Sun Kim, Joo Ho Kim, Otsuka Tatsuhiro, Burm-Young Lee
  • Patent number: 9685756
    Abstract: There may be provided a laser amplifier including: a chamber containing a laser medium; a first window provided on the chamber, and configured to allow a laser light beam inputted from outside of the chamber to enter the chamber; an excitation unit configured to amplify, by exciting the laser medium, the laser light beam that has entered the chamber; a second window provided on the chamber, and configured to allow the laser light beam that has been amplified by the excitation unit to exit from the chamber to the outside; a mirror provided on a laser light path between the first window and the second window; and a wavelength selection film provided on one or more of the first window, the second window, and the mirror, and configured to suppress propagation of light beams of one or more suppression target wavelengths different from a desired wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: GIGAPHOTON INC.
    Inventors: Takashi Suganuma, Hideo Hoshino
  • Patent number: 9653882
    Abstract: An optical source is described. This hybrid external cavity laser includes a semiconductor optical amplifier (with a semiconductor other than silicon) that provides an optical gain medium and that includes a reflector (such as a mirror). Moreover, the hybrid external cavity laser includes a photonic chip with: an optical waveguide that conveys an optical signal output by the semiconductor optical amplifier; and a ring resonator (as a wavelength-selective filter), having a resonance wavelength, which reflects at least a resonance wavelength in the optical signal. Furthermore, the photonic chip includes an interferometer that provides optical signals on arms of the interferometer. Control logic in the hybrid external cavity laser thermally tunes the resonance wavelength to match a cavity mode of the hybrid external cavity laser based on measurements of the optical signals from the interferometer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: ORACLE AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Xuezhe Zheng, Daniel Y. Lee, Ashok V. Krishnamoorthy
  • Patent number: 9500781
    Abstract: An optical system and a laser processing apparatus with which spattering can be suppressed by reducing an evaporation reactive force at a workpiece by forming two focal points on the optical axis, using a simple configuration. The optical system is provided with a convex lens that focuses laser light; and a concave lens that is disposed on the same optical axis as the laser light that passes through the convex lens. The concave lens has a first region that has a through-hole, that is positioned on the optical axis, and that does not have lens properties, as well as a second region that surrounds the first region and that diverges the laser light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Masao Watanabe
  • Patent number: 9484707
    Abstract: Optical fibers that provide stable output beam sizes have core refractive indices that decrease non-monotonically from a core center to a core/cladding interface. A maximum refractive index of the core is situated at a radius of between about ½ and ¾ of the core radius so that a core center has a depressed refractive index. Such fibers are included in diode pumped solid state lasers to deliver pump laser power to a laser medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: nLIGHT, Inc.
    Inventors: Jay Small, Ken Gross, Shuang Li
  • Patent number: 9403237
    Abstract: A monolithic resonator that has a plurality of mode families is modified so that portions of the resonator have a different index of refraction than other portions of the resonator. This degrades the Q factor of one or more of the mode families, allowing pre-selection of one or more mode families over others.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Oewaves, Inc.
    Inventors: Lute Maleki, Andrey Matsko, Anatoliy A. Savchenkov, Iouri Solomatine
  • Patent number: 9341757
    Abstract: An optical component including an interference filter which is less likely to generate back reflected light, where the filter is accommodated in a hollow cylindrical housing and is tilted with respect to the optical axis. The housing has front and back openings. First and second collimator lenses respectively face the front and back openings. The housing includes a filter housing section and first and second cylindrical optical path sections extending in the front-back direction respectively from the front and back openings to the filter housing section while maintaining the shape of each opening. The diameter of the opening of the first optical path section is smaller than the apparent diameter of the first collimator lens. When light is input from the front along the optical axis, light of prescribed wavelengths is output to the back. Light reflected by the filter travels toward the inside of the first optical path section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Kohoku Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Kato, Tomoaki Kiriyama
  • Patent number: 9225147
    Abstract: An optical semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate; a lower cladding layer formed over the semiconductor substrate; a quantum well active layer formed on the lower cladding layer; a diffraction grating layer formed over the quantum well active layer and having diffraction gratings formed in a surface thereof; and an upper cladding layer formed on the diffraction gratings of the diffraction grating layer. Further, a band gap in outer regions of the quantum well active layer that are adjacent to outer end surfaces of the optical semiconductor device is greater than the band gap in an inner region of the quantum well active layer that is located between the outer regions, and a thickness of one or more layers, which include the lower cladding layer and positioned between the semiconductor substrate and the quantum well active layer, is greater than or equal to 2.3 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Akinori Hayakawa, Takeshi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 9219349
    Abstract: A surface emitting semiconductor laser includes: a substrate; a first semiconductor multilayer reflector on the substrate including laminated pairs of a high refractive index layer relatively high in refractive index and a low refractive index layer relatively low in refractive index; an active region on or above the first reflector; a second semiconductor multilayer reflector on or above the active region including laminated pairs of a high refractive index layer relatively high in refractive index and a low refractive index layer relatively low in refractive index; and a cavity extending region formed between the first reflector and the active region or between the second reflector and the active region, having an optical film thickness greater than an oscillation wavelength, extending a cavity length, including a conductive semiconductor material, and including an optical loss causing layer at at least one node of a standing wave of a selected longitudinal mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazutaka Takeda, Takashi Kondo
  • Patent number: 9197029
    Abstract: In a laser device, a control range of focal distance of a generated thermal lens is broadened and reliability is improved. A mode control waveguide-type laser device includes: a planar laser medium having a waveguide structure in a thickness direction of a cross section perpendicular to an optical axis, for generating gain with respect to laser light; a cladding bonded onto the laser medium; and a heat sink bonded onto the laser medium. The laser medium generates a lens effect, and the laser light oscillates in a waveguide mode in the thickness direction, and oscillates in a spatial mode due to the lens effect in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis and the thickness direction. The refractive index distribution within the laser medium is created by generating a temperature distribution in the laser medium depending on a junction area of the cladding and the heat sink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Noriyuki Miyamoto, Shuhei Yamamoto, Takayuki Yanagisawa, Yoshihito Hirano
  • Patent number: 9074853
    Abstract: A high-energy laser system intercepting a target using a phase conjugate mirror includes a laser oscillator which generates a laser beam irradiated to the target, a light amplifier which receives the laser beam irradiated to and reflected by the target so as to amplify it, a phase conjugate mirror which reflects the amplified laser beam. And the laser beam that is reflected by the phase conjugate mirror is amplified again in the light amplifier, and then irradiated to the target so as to intercept the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: KOREA ADVANCED INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Hong Jin Kong, Jae Sung Shin, Sang Woo Park, Kang Sup Shim, Seong Woo Cha
  • 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: 9025626
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser excited solid state laser device and method. The device including a semiconductor laser; a driving device; a solid state laser module which has maximum output efficiency at the set temperature and which generates, from excitation light, an output light of a predetermined output level when the optical noise is at or below a fixed level and the output level of the excitation light is the set output level; a single temperature adjustment device which adjusts the temperature of the semiconductor laser and the temperature of the solid state laser module; and a control device which controls the driving device such that the output light will be at the predetermined output level and controls the temperature adjustment device such that the temperature of the semiconductor laser and the solid state laser module will be the set temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
    Inventors: Kazutomo Kadokura, Katsuhiko Tokuda, Mamoru Hisamitsu, Kazuya Inoue
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20150078407
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser excited solid state laser device and method. The device including a semiconductor laser; a driving device; a solid state laser module which has maximum output efficiency at the set temperature and which generates, from excitation light, an output light of a predetermined output level when the optical noise is at or below a fixed level and the output level of the excitation light is the set output level; a single temperature adjustment device which adjusts the temperature of the semiconductor laser and the temperature of the solid state laser module; and a control device which controls the driving device such that the output light will be at the predetermined output level and controls the temperature adjustment device such that the temperature of the semiconductor laser and the solid state laser module will be the set temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2013
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Applicant: SHIMADZU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazutomo KADOKURA, Katsuhiko TOKUDA, Mamoru HISAMITSU, Kazuya INOUE
  • Patent number: 8982916
    Abstract: A method for producing an externally injected gain switch laser ultrashort pulse, comprising the following steps of ultrashort light pulse signals having multi-longitudinal mode characteristic produced by the gain switch laser are inputted into an optical amplifier and then amplified; a spectral component signal selector selects a narrow spectral component signal outputted by the optical amplifier, the narrow spectral component signal is within an amplified spontaneous emission noise frequency band and its central wavelength is equal to the longitudinal mode of the gain switch laser; a route of the narrow spectral component signal is used as an external seed light and reinjected into the gain switch laser via a spectral component signal feedback loop. Therefore, the oscillation of a selected single longitudinal mode within the cavity of the gain switch laser is enhanced, thereby forming an externally light injected locking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Xi'an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics of Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Inventors: Jianguo Zhang, Wei Zhao, Yuanshan Liu
  • Patent number: 8976831
    Abstract: An edge emitting semiconductor laser comprising an active, radiation-generating zone (1), and an common waveguide (8), which is suitable for guiding the radiation generated in the active zone (1) within the semiconductor laser. The common waveguide (8) comprises a first n-doped layer (4) and a second n-doped layer (5), which is arranged between the first n-doped layer (4) and the active zone (1), wherein the refractive index n2 of the second n-doped layer (5) is greater than the refractive index n1 of the first n-doped layer (4) by a value dn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: OSRAM Opto Semiconductors GmbH
    Inventors: Alvaro Gomez-Iglesias, Guenther Groenninger, Christian Lauer, Harald Koenig
  • Patent number: 8953649
    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: January 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: National Institute of Metrology P.R. China
    Inventors: Erjun Zang, Jianping Cao, Ye Li, Zhanjun Fang
  • Patent number: 8942976
    Abstract: The present invention provides a noise reduction control method using a microphone array and a noise reduction control device using a microphone array wherein the method comprises the steps of: S1: collecting, by the microphone array, acoustic signals; S2: estimating incidence angles of all acoustic signals of the microphone array; S3: conducting a statistics on signal components according to incidence angles; S4: determining a parameter ? from a ratio of noise components according to the statistical result and using the parameter ? as a control parameter for controlling an adaptive filter. With the present invention, space position information of the sound is obtained directly with the microphone array to control update of the adaptive filter more accurately, so as to eliminate noise, enhance SNR and protect speech quality well at the same time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Goertek Inc.
    Inventors: Bo Li, Shasha Lou, Song Li
  • Patent number: 8897332
    Abstract: A laser cavity structure is disclosed which pertains to laser resonator geometries possessing circular symmetry, such as in the case of disk or spherical lasers. The disclosed invention utilizes a very-high finesse Bragg reflector (VHF-BR) thin film reflectors of many layer pairs of very small refractive index difference, the VHF-BR deposited on a surface of revolution, thereby forming an optical cavity. These dielectric reflectors are disposed in such a way as to allow selection of preferred low order modes and suppression of parasitic modes while allowing a high cavity Q factor for preferred modes. The invention disclosed, in its preferred embodiments, is seen as particularly useful in applications requiring high efficiency in the production and coupling of coherent radiation. This is accomplished in a cavity design that is relatively compact and economical.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Inventor: Donald B Hilliard
  • Publication number: 20140321485
    Abstract: An external cavity laser comprises a gain medium and an external cavity resonator without the use of a semi-reflective surface placed between the gain medium and the resonator. Radiation from the gain medium is reflected back to the gain medium by one or more resonant backscattering regions of the resonator, such that the entire optical path between the gain medium and the external cavity resonator could be free from a reflective surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2014
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: OEwaves, Inc.
    Inventors: David J. Seidel, Elijah B. Dale, Andrey B. Matsko, Lute Maleki