Tuning Patents (Class 372/20)
  • Patent number: 10197752
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for a monolithic multi-optical-waveguide penetrator or connector. One example apparatus generally includes a plurality of large diameter optical waveguides, each having a core and a cladding, and a body having a plurality of bores with the optical waveguides disposed therein, wherein at least a portion of the cladding of each of the optical waveguides is fused with the body, such that the apparatus is a monolithic structure. Such an apparatus provides for a cost- and space-efficient technique for feedthrough of multiple optical waveguides. Also, the body may have a large outer diameter which can be shaped into features of interest, such as connection alignment or feedthrough sealing features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: WEATHERFORD TECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, LLC
    Inventor: Thomas W. F. Engel
  • Patent number: 10188285
    Abstract: To acquire information on sections of an object with high accuracy even if the area to be imaged with a single scan is wide. A scanning unit is configured such that an angle of linear scanning of a fundus with illuminating light is 47 degrees or greater in the air. A light-source unit 10 includes a MEMS-VCSEL 601 whose coherence length during the sweeping of the frequency of the light is 14 or longer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Eiichi Fujii
  • Patent number: 10181697
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including a laser including a layer having first and second regions, the first region including a void; a mirror section provided on the layer, the mirror section including a waveguide core, at least part of the waveguide core is provided over at least a portion of the void; a first grating provided on the waveguide core; a first cladding layer provided between the layer and the waveguide core and supported by the second region of the layer; a second cladding layer provided on the waveguide core; and a heat source configured to change a temperature of at least one of the waveguide core and the grating, where an optical mode propagating in the waveguide core of the mirror section does not incur substantial loss due to interaction with portions of the mirror section above and below the waveguide core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: Infinera Corporation
    Inventors: Peter W. Evans, Mingzhi Lu, Fred A. Kish, Jr., Vikrant Lal, Scott Corzine, John W. Osenbach, Jin Yan
  • Patent number: 10181698
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including a laser including a layer having first and second regions, the first region including a void; a mirror section provided on the layer, the mirror section including a waveguide core, at least part of the waveguide core is provided over at least a portion of the void; a first grating provided on the waveguide core; a first cladding layer provided between the layer and the waveguide core and supported by the second region of the layer; a second cladding layer provided on the waveguide core; and a heat source configured to change a temperature of at least one of the waveguide core and the grating, where an optical mode propagating in the waveguide core of the mirror section does not incur substantial loss due to interaction with portions of the mirror section above and below the waveguide core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: Infinera Corporation
    Inventors: Peter W. Evans, Mingzhi Lu, Fred A. Kish, Jr., Vikrant Lal, Scott Corzine, John W. Osenbach, Jin Yan
  • Patent number: 10175433
    Abstract: A MEMS based alignment technology based on mounting an optical component on a released micromechanical lever configuration that uses multiple flexures rather than a single spring. The optical component may be a lens. The use of multiple flexures may reduce coupling between lens rotation and lens translation, and reduce effects of lever handle warping on lens position. The device can be optimized for various geometries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: KAIAM CORP.
    Inventors: Bardia Pezeshki, Michael Sherback, Dinh Ton
  • Patent number: 10175434
    Abstract: A coupling platform of SFP+COB module assembly for photoelectric communication, which comprises a lens clamping part, a PCB clamping part, a coupling adjustment part and a supporting part, wherein the lens clamping part comprises a clamping seat, a movable part, a cam, a connecting seat, a fiber optic patch cord limit plate and a fiber optic patch cord; the PCB clamping part comprises a PCB socket, a clamping jaw and a gas jaw The main body of the coupling adjustment part is a multi-shaft fine-tuning rack. and the supporting part comprises a cushion block and a platform bottom plate. The clamping seat, the movable part and the cam are combined, thereby enabling the cam to drive the movable part to slide up and down in a clamping groove of the clamping seat during rotation. When the movable part moves to an upper end, an LC light port of a plastic lens can be inserted into the clamping seat without obstruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Wuhan Telecommunication Devices Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yaoxin Luo, Benqing Quan, Fanrong Gao
  • Patent number: 10177531
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including a laser including a layer having first and second regions, the first region including a void; a mirror section provided on the layer, the mirror section including a waveguide core, at least part of the waveguide core is provided over at least a portion of the void; a first grating provided on the waveguide core; a first cladding layer provided between the layer and the waveguide core and supported by the second region of the layer; a second cladding layer provided on the waveguide core; and a heat source configured to change a temperature of at least one of the waveguide core and the grating, where an optical mode propagating in the waveguide core of the mirror section does not incur substantial loss due to interaction with portions of the mirror section above and below the waveguide core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Infinera Corporation
    Inventors: Peter W. Evans, Mingzhi Lu, Fred A. Kish, Jr., Vikrant Lal, Scott Corzine, John W. Osenbach, Jin Yan
  • Patent number: 10175107
    Abstract: A spectral sensor 1A includes a Fabry-Perot interference filter 10 which has a light transmission region 11; a light detector 3 which detects light having transmitted the light transmission region 11; spacers 4A and 4B which support the Fabry-Perot interference filter 10 in a surrounding region of the light transmission region 11; and a die bond resin 5 which adheres the Fabry-Perot interference filter 10 and the spacers 4A and 4B to each other. The die bond resin 5 has one opening A2 communicating with an inner side of the surrounding region and an outer side of the surrounding region, when viewed from a light transmission direction in the light transmission region 11.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Katsumi Shibayama, Takashi Kasahara, Masaki Hirose, Toshimitsu Kawai
  • Patent number: 10156677
    Abstract: Optical designs and techniques for providing compact optical delay lines by using a dual fiber collimator structured to include (1) an input fiber line that receives and guides an input light beam, (2) an output fiber line that guides and exports an output light beam that has an optical delay relative to the input light beam, and (3) a collimating lens placed on one side of end facets of the input and output fiber lines to receive the input light beam from the input fiber line and to output the output beam light to the output fiber line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: General Photonics Corporation
    Inventor: Xiaotian Steve Yao
  • Patent number: 10141710
    Abstract: An optical source includes semiconductor optical amplifiers, with a semiconductor other than silicon, which provide an optical gain medium. Moreover, a photonic chip in the optical source, which is optically coupled to the semiconductor optical amplifiers, includes ring resonators that selectively pass corresponding optical signals having carrier wavelengths provided by the semiconductor optical amplifiers, where a given ring resonator and a reflector on one of the semiconductor optical amplifier defines an optical cavity, and the ring resonators have different radii with associated resonance wavelengths corresponding to the carrier wavelengths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: Oracle International Corporation
    Inventors: Jock T. Bovington, Xuezhe Zheng
  • Patent number: 10141712
    Abstract: A method for adjusting an optical cavity's length includes: measuring a first absolute frequency corresponding to a cavity mode, the optical cavity having a first and second mirror having respective first and second mirror surfaces separated by a first cavity length, and a resonator body interposed therebetween; determining a length difference between the first cavity length and a target cavity length corresponding to a plurality of resonance frequencies that includes a target absolute optical frequency; removing the first mirror to expose a first end of the resonator body; depositing, on one of the first end and the first mirror, a spacer having a thickness within a length tolerance of the determined length difference; and reversibly securing the first mirror to the resonator body, the spacer being between the first mirror and the resonator body, the first and second mirrors being separated, within the length tolerance, by an adjusted cavity length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: Stable Laser Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Notcutt, Kevin Knabe
  • Patent number: 10122467
    Abstract: An optical transmitter that transmits an optical signal includes a dither superimposing circuit configured to generate a dither signal, the dither signal being used to control an operation of the optical transmitter to output the optical signal, and a control circuit configured to control intermittent superimposition of the dither signal onto a target to be controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: FUJITSU OPTICAL COMPONENTS LIMITED
    Inventor: Hiroshi Nishimoto
  • Patent number: 10122149
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including a laser including a layer having first and second regions, the first region including a void; a mirror section provided on the layer, the mirror section including a waveguide core, at least part of the waveguide core is provided over at least a portion of the void; a first grating provided on the waveguide core; a first cladding layer provided between the layer and the waveguide core and supported by the second region of the layer; a second cladding layer provided on the waveguide core; and a heat source configured to change a temperature of at least one of the waveguide core and the grating, where an optical mode propagating in the waveguide core of the mirror section does not incur substantial loss due to interaction with portions of the mirror section above and below the waveguide core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: Infinera Corporation
    Inventors: Peter W. Evans, Mingzhi Lu, Fred A. Kish, Jr., Vikrant Lal, Scott Corzine, John W. Osenbach, Jin Yan
  • Patent number: 10103513
    Abstract: A method for biasing a tunable laser during burst-on and burst-off states through a common-cathode laser driving circuit includes delivering a bias current to an anode of a gain-section diode having a shared substrate with the laser, and receiving a burst mode signal indicative of a burst-on state or a burst-off state. When the burst mode signal is indicative of the burst-off state, the method includes sinking a sink current away from the anode of the gain-section diode. The sink current is less than the bias current delivered to the anode of the gain-section diode. When the burst mode signal transitions to be indicative of the burst-on state from the burst-off state, the method includes ceasing the sinking of the sink current away from the anode of the gain-section diode, and delivering an overshoot current to the anode of the gain-section diode to accelerate heating of the gain-section diode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Tao Zhang, Liang Du, Xiangjun Zhao, Changhong Joy Jiang, Cedric Fung Lam, Shuang Yin, Adam Edwin Taylor Barratt
  • Patent number: 10095152
    Abstract: A light emitting element array includes plural semiconductor stacked structures each including a light emitting unit that is formed on a substrate, and a light amplification unit that extends from the light emitting unit along a substrate surface of the substrate to have a length in an extension direction which is longer than that of the light emitting unit, amplifies light propagating in the extension direction from the light emitting unit, and emits the amplified light from a light emission portion formed along the extension direction, wherein the plural semiconductor stacked structures are arranged such that the extension directions of the respective light amplification units are substantially parallel to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Kondo, Junichiro Hayakawa, Naoki Jogan, Akemi Murakami, Jun Sakurai
  • Patent number: 10062541
    Abstract: A new multi-beam apparatus with a total FOV variable in size, orientation and incident angle, is proposed. The new apparatus provides more flexibility to speed the sample observation and enable more samples observable. More specifically, as a yield management tool to inspect and/or review defects on wafers/masks in semiconductor manufacturing industry, the new apparatus provide more possibilities to achieve a high throughput and detect more kinds of defects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: HERMES MICROVISION INC.
    Inventors: Weiming Ren, Xuedong Liu, Xuerang Hu, Zhongwei Chen
  • Patent number: 10050406
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an external cavity tunable laser and a cavity mode locking method thereof. In an embodiment, an external cavity tunable laser comprises a semiconductor amplifier having a partial reflective film provided on one end and an anti-reflective film provided on the other end, a cavity mirror provided at the anti-reflective end to define an external cavity therebetween, a large-range phasing assembly and a quick phasing assembly provided to adjust the optical length of the external cavity independently, an optical power detector provided to detect the optical power of the light output from the semiconductor amplifier, and a control unit in communication with the optical power detector, the large-range phasing assembly, and the quick phasing assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: Accelink Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Xuesheng Tang, Yanfeng Fu, Kun Qian, Yong Luo, Yizong Chen, Di Zhang, Qianggao Hu, Yi Tang, Chao Luo
  • Patent number: 10042232
    Abstract: An optical amplifier arrangement has optical parametric amplifiers and white light generations and harmonic generation, in particular frequency doubling, for generating a wide visible to infrared, in any case near-infrared, spectrum of coherent ultra-short light pulses, in particular with a pump laser. During operation the fundamental is in a wavelength range above 950 nm, and the second signal light and the second idler light of the second optical parametric amplifier together cover a tunability range of wavelengths between 500 nm and 5 ?m, in particular between 550 nm and 3 ?m, wherein between wavelengths in the tunability range throughout continuous tuning can be carried out, namely through the degeneration range of the second optical parametric amplifier at the fundamental of the pump laser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: APE Angewandte Physik und Elektronik GmbH
    Inventors: Marcus Beutler, Ingo Rimke
  • Patent number: 10036839
    Abstract: A direction-selective interferometric optical filter for spectrometric devices, at least includes an arrangement of two layered one-dimensional photonic structures. Each of the two structures contains a defect layer, and each photonic structure has a dispersion function in the energy momentum space (E, kx, ky), wherein kx and ky are momentum components of transmitted photons of the photonic structures for a defined energy (frequency/wavelength) E in the energy momentum space. Both photonic structures have opposite interfaces which are at a plane-parallel distance from one another. In this case, the dispersion functions of both photonic structures cross or intersect in the energy momentum space and produce a cut set of rays of waves on the surfaces of the dispersion functions at a particular energy, wherein a ray of waves contains waves selectively chosen through the filter at an angle, while other waves are reflected by the filter at other angles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITÄT DRESDEN
    Inventors: Maik Langner, Hartmut Fröb, Vadim G. Lyssenko, Markas Sudzius, Karl Leo
  • Patent number: 10037878
    Abstract: The invention relates to optically pumped and pulsed solid-state lasers which are used in mass spectrometers in particular for ionization by matrix-assisted laser desorption (MALDI) and which operate at pulse frequencies of up to 10 kilohertz or even higher. The invention proposes that, instead of interrupting the clocked sequence of the laser operation, individual light pulses or groups of light pulses are blanked out so that subsequent light pulses do not have a higher energy density, in accordance with the requirements for LDI processes. Methods and devices for the blanking out of light pulses are provided which are, in particular, low cost and considerably less complex than other methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Inventor: Andreas Haase
  • Patent number: 10020636
    Abstract: A tunable laser with multiple in-line sections including sampled gratings generally includes a semiconductor laser body with a plurality of in-line laser sections configured to be driven independently to generate laser light at a wavelength within a different respective wavelength range. Sampled gratings in the respective in-line sections have the same grating period and a different sampling period to produce the different wavelengths. The wavelength of the light generated in the respective laser sections may be tuned, in response to a temperature change, to a channel wavelength within the respective wavelength range. By selectively generating light in one or more of the laser sections, one or more channel wavelengths may be selected for lasing and transmission. By using sampled gratings with the same grating period in the multiple in-line sections, the multiple section tunable laser may be fabricated more easily.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: Applied Optoelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Jun Zheng, Klaus Alexander Anselm, Huanlin Zhang, Dion McIntosh-Dorsey
  • Patent number: 10012541
    Abstract: An optical filter element for devices for converting spectral information into location information, uses a connected detector for detecting signals. The element has at least two microresonators, each comprising at least two superposed reflective layer structures of a material layer having a high refractive index and a material layer having a low refractive index in an alternating sequence, and at least one superposed resonance layer arranged between the two superposed reflective layer structures. The filter element comprises at least one transparent plane-parallel substrate for optically decoupling the two microresonators; the first microresonator being located on a first of two opposing surfaces of said substrate, and the second microresonator being located on said substrate on a second surface thereof that lies opposite the first surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITÄT DRESDEN
    Inventors: Maik Langner, Hartmut Fröb, Vadim G. Lyssenko, Markas Sudzius, Karl Leo
  • Patent number: 10014662
    Abstract: A quantum cascade laser is configured with a semiconductor substrate, and an active layer provided on a first surface of the substrate and having a cascade structure in the form of a multistage lamination of unit laminate structures each of which includes an emission layer and an injection layer. The active layer is configured to be capable of generating first pump light of a frequency ?1 and second pump light of a frequency ?2 by intersubband emission transitions of electrons, and to generate output light of a difference frequency ? by difference frequency generation from the first pump light and the second pump light. Grooves respectively formed in a direction intersecting with a resonating direction in a laser cavity structure are provided on a second surface opposite to the first surface of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Kazuue Fujita, Akio Ito, Tadataka Edamura, Tatsuo Dougakiuchi
  • Patent number: 10014650
    Abstract: In various embodiments, wavelength beam combining laser systems incorporate optical fibers and partially reflective output couplers or partially reflective interfaces or surfaces utilized to establish external lasing cavities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: TERADIODE, INC.
    Inventors: Peter Colin Reeves-Hall, Parviz Tayebati, Bryan Lochman, Bien Chann, Robin Huang
  • Patent number: 9977311
    Abstract: A system for optical comb carrier envelope offset frequency control includes a mode-locked laser and a frequency shifter. The mode-locked laser produces a laser output. The frequency shifter shifts the laser output to produce a frequency shifted laser output based at least in part on one or more control signals. The frequency shifted laser output has a controlled carrier envelope offset frequency. The frequency shifter includes a first polarization converter, a rotating half-wave plate, and a second polarization converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: AOSense, Inc.
    Inventors: Arman Cingoz, Dmitriy Churin, Jonathan Roslund, Miao Zhu
  • Patent number: 9966725
    Abstract: A spectral feature of a pulsed light beam produced by an optical source is adjusted by receiving an instruction to change a spectral feature of the pulsed light beam from a value in a first target range to a value in a second target range; regulating a first operating characteristic of the optical source; determining an adjustment to a second actuatable apparatus of the optical source; and adjusting the second actuatable apparatus by an amount based on the determined adjustment. The first operating characteristic is regulated by adjusting a first actuatable apparatus of the optical source until it is determined that the first operating characteristic is within an acceptable range of values. The adjustment to the second actuatable apparatus is determined based at least in part on: a relationship between the adjustment of the first actuatable apparatus and a spectral feature of the light beam, and the second target range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Cymer, LLC
    Inventor: Kuo-Tai Teng
  • Patent number: 9960569
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for stabilizing a diode laser with a semiconductor laser diode and an external resonator (ECDL), wherein the external resonator is comprised of at least one angle-dispersive, frequency-selective element and wherein the frequency of the diode laser is essentially determined by the length of the external resonator and by the position of the angle-dispersive, frequency-selective element, and wherein these two frequency-selective elements or one element thereof can be detuned by way of a correction means (10) for harmonization to each other, which is characterized in that the portion of the light reflected from the external resonator with the angle-dispersive, frequency-selective element back to the semiconductor laser diode and not optically coupled into the semiconductor laser diode (designated as “non-optically coupled light”) or part thereof, is measured and that from the relevant measuring values, after comparison with a reference value, a fault signal is generated which as
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: TOPTICA Photonics AG
    Inventors: Christoph Raab, Andreas Able, Rainer Heidemann
  • Patent number: 9946060
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of processing images captured following structured illumination of a sample, the method comprising the steps of: identifying emission spots within each captured image; verifying the emission spots; and reconstructing an enhanced image of the sample from the emission spots. The method may comprise identifying only in focus emission spots. By identifying and processing only in focus spots, whether or not they are centered on expected illumination positions, improvements in resolution can be achieved compared to known SIM methods. In particular, by suitable selection of in focus spots, significant improvements in lateral and axial resolution can be achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: University of Leicester, The
    Inventor: Nicholas Anthony Hartell
  • Patent number: 9941660
    Abstract: A tunable lasing device including a vertical external cavity surface emitting laser, adapted to generate a fundamental laser beam in response to pumping from a pump source, said fundamental laser beam having a fundamental wavelength and a fundamental linewidth; a fundamental resonator cavity adapted to resonate the fundamental beam therein; a first optical element located within the fundamental resonator cavity for control of the fundamental linewidth of the fundamental beam; a Raman resonator located at least partially in said fundamental resonator adapted to receive the fundamental beam and comprising therein, a solid state Raman active medium located therein for generating at least a first Stokes beam from the fundamental beam wherein said Raman resonator cavity is adapted to resonate said Stokes beam therein and further adapted to emit an output beam; and further comprising a nonlinear medium located within the Raman resonator cavity for nonlinear frequency conversion of at least one of the beams present
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Macquarie University
    Inventors: Jipeng Lin, Helen M. Pask, David James Spence, Craig J. Hamilton, Graeme P. A. Malcolm
  • Patent number: 9912117
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser device which comprises a laser diode chip (100) that emits laser light; a 45° reflective mirror (400) that changes laser light traveling horizontally to a package bottom into laser light traveling perpendicular to the package bottom. The 45° reflective mirror (400) is a partial reflective mirror which has a partial reflection/partial transmission characteristic. An optical feedback-partial reflective mirror (500) is disposed along a path of light passing vertically through the 45° reflective mirror (400). The optical feedback-partial reflective mirror (500) supplies some of the laser light traveling through the 45° reflective mirror (400) back to the 45° reflective mirror 400 by reflecting a first portion of the laser light while transmitting a remaining portion of the laser light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: PHOVEL.CO.LTD
    Inventor: Jeong-Soo Kim
  • Patent number: 9899800
    Abstract: A III-V heterostructure laser device located in and/or on silicon, including a III-V heterostructure gain medium, a rib optical waveguide, located facing the gain medium and including a strip waveguide equipped with a longitudinal rib, the rib optical waveguide being located in the silicon, two sets (RBE-A, RBE-B) of Bragg gratings formed in the rib optical waveguide and located on either side of the III-V heterostructure gain medium, each set (RBE-A, RBE-B) of Bragg gratings including a first Bragg grating (RB1-A, RB1B) having a first pitch and formed in the rib and a second Bragg grating (RB2-A, RB2-B) having a second pitch different from the first pitch and formed on that side of the rib waveguide which is opposite the rib.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignees: Commissariat A L'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, ST Microelectronics SA, ST Microelectronics (Crolles 2) SAS
    Inventors: Thomas Ferrotti, Badhise Ben Bakir, Alain Chantre, Sebastien Cremer, Helene Duprez
  • Patent number: 9899799
    Abstract: Provided are: an optical waveguide that relatively easily expands a spot size and that can suppress an increase in optical coupling loss with another optical waveguide element; and an optical component and variable-wavelength laser that use the optical waveguide. The optical waveguide is provided with: a cladding member; and a core layer that is disposed within the cladding member and that is formed as an elongated body having a rectangular cross-sectional shape from a material having a higher refractive index than the material configuring the cladding member. Here, the cross-sectional shape of the core layer is characterized in having a rectangular shape in which the length in the lateral direction is at least 10 times the length in the vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoki Kobayashi, Kenji Sato
  • Patent number: 9855099
    Abstract: In some embodiments, the instant invention provides for a system that includes at least the following components: (i) an Alexandrite laser pumping subsystem; where the Alexandrite laser pumping subsystem is configured to: 1) produce wavelengths between 700 and 820 nm, and 2) produce a pump pulse having: i) a duration between 1 to 10 milliseconds, and ii) an energy measuring up to 100 Joules; where the Alexandrite laser pumping subsystem includes: 1) an optical fiber, and 2) a Lens system, (ii) a Thulium doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (Tm:YAG) laser subsystem; where the Tm:YAG laser subsystem includes: 1) a Tm:YAG gain medium, 2) a rod heat sink, and 3) at least one cooling device, (iii) a wavelength selecting device, where the wavelength selecting device is configured to deliver a wavelength between 1.75 microns to 2.1 microns; and where the system is configured to produce a high energy conversion efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Light Age, Inc.
    Inventors: Chunbai Wu, Donald F. Heller
  • Patent number: 9847618
    Abstract: A laser apparatus may include a beam splitter configured to split a pulse laser beam into a first beam path and a second beam path, an optical sensor provided in the first beam path, an amplifier including an amplification region provided in the second beam path and being configured to amplify and emit the pulse laser beam incident thereon along the second beam path, a wavefront controller provided in the second beam path between the beam splitter and the amplifier, and a processor configured to receive an output signal from the optical sensor and transmit a control signal to the wavefront controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Seiji Nogiwa, Osamu Wakabayashi
  • Patent number: 9837781
    Abstract: An optical source is described. This optical source includes a semiconductor optical amplifier (with a semiconductor other than silicon) that provides an optical gain medium and that includes a reflector. 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, having a resonance wavelength, which reflects at least a resonance wavelength in the optical signal, where the reflector and the ring resonator define an optical cavity. Furthermore, the photonic chip includes: a thermal-tuning mechanism that adjusts the resonance wavelength; a photo-detector that measures an optical power output by the ring resonator; and control logic that adjusts the temperature of the ring resonator based on the measured optical power to lock a cavity mode of the optical cavity to a carrier wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: ORACLE INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ashok V. Krishnamoorthy, Jin-Hyoung Lee, Xuezhe Zheng
  • Patent number: 9829284
    Abstract: Methods performed by an optoelectronic system are disclosed. A first method may be performed by a pulse data generator configured to acquire time from a clock; determine pulse data representative of a sequence of duration times and/or wavelength ranges as a function of, in part, a wavelength hopping algorithm; and determine and generate an output for controlling an operation of at least one optoelectronic system. A second method may be performed by a sensor controller configured to acquire the pulse data; and generate an output for controlling an operation of an optoelectronic system employed to produce an image viewable to a viewer. A third method may be performed by an image generator configured to acquire the pulse data; acquire digital data from an optoelectronic system; and generate image data representative of an image represented in data acquired from the optoelectronic system as a function of the pulse data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: John G Bendickson, Mitchell A. Riley
  • Patent number: 9831637
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a plurality of VCSELs, a master laser, one or more electrical drivers, and an optical combiner. The master laser is configured to transmit laser light to the VCSELs to optically lock wavelengths of the VCSELs. The one or more electrical drivers are connected to directly electrically modulate the VCSELs in a manner responsive to one or more digital data stream. The optical combiner is configured to combine light received from, at least, a pair of the VCSELs into an optical carrier with a substantially phase digital data modulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA Inc.
    Inventors: Nicolas K. Fontaine, Haoshuo Chen, David Thomas Neilson, Roland Ryf
  • Patent number: 9829767
    Abstract: A wavelength selective switch and a wavelength selection method are provided, where the wavelength selective switch includes: a dual-microring resonator, including a first microring and a second microring that are connected in series, where the first microring and the second microring respectively include one annular PN junction, and a direction of the annular PN junction of the first microring is the same as that of the annular PN junction of the second microring; an electric tuning module, where a first electric port of the electric tuning module is connected to a P zone of the first microring and an N zone of the second microring, a second electric port of the electric tuning module is connected to an N zone of the first microring and a P zone of the second microring; and a thermal tuning module, configured to adjust an operating temperature of the dual-microring resonator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Xiao Ma, Xuecang Zhang, Jianyi Yang
  • Patent number: 9831635
    Abstract: A hybrid external cavity multi-wavelength laser using a QD RSOA and a silicon photonics chip is demonstrated. Four lasing modes at 2 nm spacing and less than 3 dB power non-uniformity were observed, with over 20 mW of total output power. Each lasing peak can be successfully modulated at 10 Gb/s. At 10?9 BER, the receiver power penalty is less than 2.6 dB compared to a conventional commercial laser. An expected application is the provision of a comb laser source for WDM transmission in optical interconnection systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: Elenion Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Yi Zhang, Shuyu Yang, Michael J. Hochberg, Thomas Wetteland Baehr-Jones
  • Patent number: 9829630
    Abstract: A reflective structure includes an input/output port and an optical splitter coupled to the input/output port. The optical splitter has a first branch and a second branch. The reflective structure also includes a first resonant cavity optically coupled to the first branch of the optical splitter. The first resonant cavity comprises a first set of reflectors and a first waveguide region disposed between the first set of reflectors. The reflective structure further includes a second resonant cavity optically coupled to the second branch of the optical splitter. The second resonant cavity comprises a second set of reflectors and a second waveguide region disposed between the second set of reflectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: Skorpios Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Derek Van Orden, Amit Mizrahi, Timothy Creazzo, Stephen B. Krasulick
  • Patent number: 9823125
    Abstract: The invention provides a dynamically swept tunable laser system and method for measuring sensor characteristics obtained from an array of optical sensors comprising means for dividing the total wavelength sweep of the laser into different regions in any particular order where each region contains single or multiple contiguous sweep segments and where each sweep segment is referenced by a start and a stop reference and can have different lengths compared to the other sweep segments. The sensor characteristics are determined from each region swept by the tunable laser. The invention provides for the tunable laser to be adapted to operate in a quasi-continuous mode to select segments in any order. The relative sweep rates of regions can be changed such that some regions can be swept more times than other regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: FAZ TECHNOLOGY LIMITED
    Inventors: Selwan Ibrahim, John O'Dowd, Martin Farnan, Roger Maher, Tom Farrell, John Dunne
  • Patent number: 9817190
    Abstract: Provided are a tunable wavelength filter with an embedded metal temperature sensor and an external-cavity type tunable wavelength laser module. In detail, the tunable wavelength filter with an embedded metal temperature sensor and the external-cavity type tunable wavelength laser module achieve wavelength stability by forming a metal temperature sensor using a resistance change of a metal thin film according to temperature on a point on an isothermal layer having the same temperature distribution as the optical waveguide during a process for fabricating the optical waveguide with polymer to accurately measure a temperature of an optical waveguide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignees: ChemOptics Inc., Solidsystems Inc.
    Inventors: Hak Kyu Lee, Jun Kyu Seo, Woo Jin Lee, Kyoung Min Kim
  • Patent number: 9819148
    Abstract: A driving condition for causing the tunable wavelength laser to conduct laser oscillation at a first wavelength is acquired. a driving condition for causing the tunable wavelength laser to conduct laser oscillation at the second wavelength is calculated. The tunable wavelength laser is driven based on the driving condition of the second wavelength, feedback control that changes the driving condition of the tunable wavelength laser based on a difference between an output of the wavelength sensing unit and the target value is performed, and the tunable wavelength laser is caused to oscillate at the second wavelength. The driving condition of the tunable wavelength laser obtained by the feedback control when oscillation has occurred at the second wavelength is stored in the memory. Thereafter, the tunable wavelength laser is driven with reference to the stored driving condition of the tunable wavelength laser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Device Innovations, Inc.
    Inventors: Hirokazu Tanaka, Masao Shibata, Mitsuyoshi Miyata
  • Patent number: 9804425
    Abstract: A method for operating an optical system may include selecting a band gap energy level for an optical waveguide in an electro-optic modulator. The band gap energy level may correspond to a predetermined phase shift efficiency of a waveguide electrode coupled to the optical waveguide. The method may further include generating, across a conductive plane in the electro-optic modulator, a differential voltage that produces a predetermined temperature in a waveguide core of the optical waveguide. The predetermined temperature may correspond to the band gap energy level selected for the optical waveguide. The method may further include transmitting, through the optical waveguide and with a modulating voltage applied by the waveguide electrode, an optical wave to an optical wave combiner. The modulating voltage may produce an amount of phase shift in the optical wave at the predetermined phase shift efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Ciena Corporation
    Inventor: Kelvin Prosyk
  • Patent number: 9804027
    Abstract: Described herein are optical sensing devices for photonic integrated circuits (PICs). A PIC may comprise a plurality of waveguides formed in a silicon on insulator (SOI) substrate, and a plurality of heterogeneous lasers, each laser formed from a silicon material of the SOI substrate and to emit an output wavelength comprising an infrared wavelength. Each of these lasers may comprise a resonant cavity included in one of the plurality of waveguides, and a gain material comprising a non-silicon material and adiabatically coupled to the respective waveguide. A light directing element may direct outputs of the plurality of heterogeneous lasers from the PIC towards an object, and one or more detectors may detect light from the plurality of heterogeneous lasers reflected from or transmitted through the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Aurrion, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory Alan Fish, Jonathan Edgar Roth, Brandon Buckley
  • Patent number: 9791623
    Abstract: Multilevel leaky-mode optical elements, including reflectors, polarizers, and beamsplitters. Some of the elements have a plurality of spatially modulated periodic layers coupled to a substrate. For infrared applications, the optical elements may have a bandwidth larger than 600 nanometers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
    Inventors: Robert Magnusson, Mehrdad Shokooh-Saremi
  • Patent number: 9793684
    Abstract: A laser apparatus includes first and second gain media; first, second, and third wavelength selection filters; and first and second mirrors. The wavelengths of first and second laser light emitted from end surfaces of the first and second gain media, respectively, are different from each other. The third wavelength selection filter is a wavelength selection filter to select light having wavelengths that cyclically exist in the light, as light to be selected. The other end surfaces of the first and second gain media are connected with the first input/output ports of the first and second wavelength selection filters, respectively. The fourth input/output ports of the first and second gain media are connected with the first and second mirrors, respectively. The first and second input/output ports of the third wavelength selection filter are connected with the second input/output ports of the first and second wavelength selection filters, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Kazumasa Takabayashi, Tsuyoshi Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 9785050
    Abstract: A system includes a first actuation module coupled to a first actuatable apparatus of an optical source, the first actuatable apparatus being altered by the first actuation module to adjust the spectral feature of the pulsed light beam; a second actuation module coupled to a second actuatable apparatus of the optical source, the second actuatable apparatus being altered by the second actuation module to adjust the spectral feature of the pulsed light beam; and a control system configured to receive an indication regarding the operating state of the first actuatable apparatus; and send a signal to the second actuation module to adjust the spectral feature of the pulsed light beam to either: prevent the first actuatable apparatus from saturating based on the operating state of the first actuatable apparatus, or desaturate the first actuatable apparatus if the first actuatable apparatus is saturated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: Cymer, LLC
    Inventors: Kevin M. O'Brien, Rahul Ahlawat
  • Patent number: 9780532
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are embodiments of a vertical external cavity surface emitting laser (VECSEL) device that utilizes an external micromirror array, and methods of fabricating and using the same. In one embodiment, a VECSEL device includes a gain chip, a mirror, and a micromirror array. The gain chip includes a gain medium. The micromirror array includes a plurality of curved micromirrors. The micromirror array and the mirror define an optical cavity, and the micromirror array is oriented such that at least one of the curved micromirrors is to reflect light generated by the gain medium back toward the gain medium along a length of the optical cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated
    Inventors: Farsane Tabataba-Vakili, Thomas Wunderer
  • Patent number: 9778493
    Abstract: A dual-ring-modulated laser includes a gain medium having a reflective end coupled to an associated gain-medium reflector and an output end, which is coupled to a reflector circuit through an input waveguide to form a lasing cavity. The reflector circuit comprises: a first ring modulator; a second ring modulator; and a shared waveguide that optically couples the first and second ring modulators together. The first and second ring modulators have resonance peaks that are tuned to be offset in alignment from each other to provide an effective reflectance having a flat-top response, which is aligned with an associated lasing cavity mode. The first and second ring modulators are driven in tandem based on the same electrical input signal, whereby the resonance peaks of the first and second ring modulators shift wavelengths in the same direction during modulation, and an effective reflectance stays within the flat-top wavelength range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: ORACLE INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ashok V. Krishnamoorthy, Jock T. Bovington, Xuezhe Zheng, Ying Luo, Shiyun Lin