Tuning Patents (Class 372/20)
  • Patent number: 9780524
    Abstract: A tunable laser includes a reflective silicon optical amplifier (RSOA) with a reflective end and an interface end and an array of narrow-band reflectors, which each have a different center wavelength. It also includes a silicon-photonic optical switch, having an input port and N output ports that are coupled to a different narrow-band reflector in the array of narrow-band reflectors. The tunable laser also includes an optical waveguide coupled between the interface end of the RSOA and the input of the silicon-photonic optical switch. The frequency of this tunable laser can be tuned in discrete increments by selectively coupling the input port of the silicon-photonic optical switch to one of the N output ports, thereby causing the RSOA to form a lasing cavity with a selected narrow-band reflector coupled to the selected output port. The tunable laser also includes a laser output optically coupled to the lasing cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: ORACLE INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Xuezhe Zheng, Jin Yao, Ying Luo, Ashok V. Krishnamoorthy
  • Patent number: 9774165
    Abstract: A laser device is provided for generating an optical wave at a laser frequency, including (i) a semiconductor element having a gain region with quantum wells, the gain region being located between a first mirror and an exit region defining an optical microcavity, (ii) a second mirror distinct from the semiconductor element and arranged so as to form with the first mirror an external optical cavity including the gain region, (iii) a pump for pumping the gain region so as to generate the optical wave, wherein the optical microcavity with the gain region and the external optical cavity are arranged so that a spectral ratio between the Half Width Half Maximum (HWHM) spectral bandwidth of the modal gain and a free spectral range of the external cavity in the range of 2 to 50.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignees: UNIVERSITE DE MONTPELLIER, CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE, INNOPTICS
    Inventors: Arnaud Garnache-Creuillot, Mikhaël Myara, Isabelle Sagnes, Grégoire Beaudoin, Laurence Ferrieres, Vincent Lecocq, Stéphane Denet
  • Patent number: 9755395
    Abstract: An optical system includes an output waveguide to propagate an optical output signal and a plurality of ring laser systems. Each of the plurality of ring laser systems includes a ring laser to generate a ring laser optical signal and a local waveguide. The ring laser can be optically coupled to the output waveguide to provide a first portion of the ring laser optical signal on the output waveguide as part of the optical output signal, and can be optically coupled to the local waveguide to provide a second portion of the ring laser optical signal on the local waveguide. Each of the plurality of ring laser systems can be to control a phase of the second portion of the ring laser optical signal to provide constructive interference with the ring laser optical signal at an optical coupling of the ring laser and the local waveguide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
    Inventors: Di Liang, Raymond G. Beausoleil
  • Patent number: 9741781
    Abstract: Various embodiments may relate to an optoelectronic component, including an optoelectronic structure, which is designed to provide a first electromagnetic radiation, and a measuring structure, which is designed to measure electromagnetic radiation, wherein the measuring structure has an optically active structure and at least one electro-optical structure. The optically active structure is optically coupled to the optoelectronic structure. The optically active structure is designed to absorb an electromagnetic radiation in such a way that the optically active structure produces a measured signal from the absorbed electromagnetic radiation. The absorbed electromagnetic radiation at least partially includes the first electromagnetic radiation and/or at least one second electromagnetic radiation of an external radiation source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: OSRAM OLED GMBH
    Inventors: Michael Popp, Arndt Jaeger
  • Patent number: 9739593
    Abstract: A method of emitting wavelength-swept light includes controlling either one or both of magnitudes and on/off timings of currents to be applied to a first gain medium of a first optical generator and a second gain medium of a second optical generator to control an intensity and a wavelength region of each of first wavelength-swept light and second wavelength-swept light; generating the first wavelength-swept light having a first center wavelength based on the current applied to the first gain medium of the first optical generator; generating the second wavelength-swept light having a second center wavelength based on the current applied to the second gain medium of the second optical generator; and emitting output wavelength-swept light by coupling the first wavelength-swept light and the second wavelength-swept light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jin-yong Ha, Hong-sig Kim, Woo-young Jang
  • Patent number: 9742149
    Abstract: In the method for controlling a tunable wavelength laser, information designating an oscillation wavelength is inputted. A driving condition for causing laser oscillation at a first wavelength is acquired from a memory. A control value of wavelength characteristics of the etalon and a difference between the first wavelength and a second wavelength are referred to, and a control value of wavelength characteristics of the etalon for causing laser oscillation at the second wavelength is calculated. The control value of wavelength characteristics of the etalon are assigned to the tunable wavelength laser, and a wavelength is controlled so that a wavelength sensing result becomes a first target value. Information indicating a wavelength shift amount from the designated oscillation wavelength is inputted. The wavelength sensing result is calculated as a second target value. The wavelength is controlled so that the wavelength sensing result becomes the second target value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Device Innovations, Inc.
    Inventors: Mitsuyoshi Miyata, Masao Shibata, Hirokazu Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9729231
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for optical communications are provided. By way of example, an optical transceiver includes a processing device coupled to a memory, an optical subassembly, and a programmable device. The optical subassembly is configured to receive and modulate a first signal carrying high speed user data for transmission to a remote device over an optical link. The programmable device is coupled to the processing device and configured to receive data relating to digital diagnostic monitoring information (DDMI) of the optical transceiver from the processing device, perform forward error correction encoding on the DDMI data to produce a remote digital diagnostic monitoring (RDDM) signal, and send the RDDM signal to the optical subassembly as a second signal to modulate for transmission. The optical subassembly is configured to current modulate the second signal on the first signal to produce a double modulated optical signal for transmission to the remote device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: OE SOLUTIONS AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Jong Ho Kim, Wanseok Seo, Soonwon Hong, Moon Soo Park
  • Patent number: 9720168
    Abstract: A wavelength selective optical switch includes a light input/output unit having a plurality of input/output ports, a polarization plane-independent wavelength dispersion element that splits incident light input from the optical input/output unit into spatially different angles for each wavelength, and synthesizes emergent light from different directions and outputs the light to the optical input/output unit, a condenser element that condenses the light split by the wavelength splitting element, a polarization splitter that splits incident light incident via the condenser element according to a polarization component to result in first and second light beams, aligns a polarization direction by rotating a polarization direction of one of the beams, and synthesizes the incident light by rotating one polarization direction of the emergent light of the same wavelength among the first and second reflected light beams, and a space phase modulation element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Santec Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuki Sakurai
  • Patent number: 9711944
    Abstract: A quantum cascade laser includes a substrate having a principal surface; a laser body region disposed on the principal surface, the laser body region including a semiconductor laminate structure having an end facet, the laser body region having a waveguide structure extending along a waveguide axis; and a distributed Bragg reflection region disposed on the principal surface, the distributed Bragg reflection region including low and high refractive index portions that are alternately arranged in a direction of the waveguide axis. The end facet of the semiconductor laminate structure is optically coupled to the distributed Bragg reflection region. Each of the high refractive index portions includes a semiconductor wall including upper and lower portions that are arranged in a direction intersecting with the principal surface of the substrate. The principal surface is disposed between the upper and lower portions. The lower portion includes a part of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Jun-ichi Hashimoto, Manabu Shiozaki, Hiroyuki Yoshinaga
  • Patent number: 9711927
    Abstract: A laser device includes an apparatus for producing amplified laser pulses, using a plurality of amplifying optical fibers, and groups the basic amplified pulses into an overall amplified pulse, as well as a target, onto which the overall amplified pulse is directed such as to generate a predetermined physical process thereon, which causes a change of state in the target. The laser device is configured to measure at least one distinctive parameter of the generated physical process; adjust at least one characteristic for adjusting the basic amplified laser pulses; and analyze a plurality of measurements for different adjustments. The device analyzes the measurements many times in loops for different laser pulse adjustment characteristics, enabling an optimization by a heuristic method. Also provided is a heuristic optimization method implemented by the laser device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE
    Inventors: Gerard Mourou, Toshiki Tajima
  • Patent number: 9686018
    Abstract: An optical transmitter that narrows the linewidth of its output light is disclosed. The optical transmitter includes a wavelength tunable laser diode (LD) known as a CSG-DR LD integrated with a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) driven in a constant magnitude mode. The wavelength of the light output from the LD is determined by transmission through an etalon filter. The optical transmitter feeds the output of the etalon filter back to an injection current supplied to the LD to reduce phase noise inherently contained in the output light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Katsumi Uesaka
  • Patent number: 9660411
    Abstract: A wavelength tunable silicon-on-insulator (SOI) laser comprising: a laser cavity including: a semiconductor gain medium having a front end and a back end, wherein a mirror of the laser cavity is located at the back end of the semiconductor gain medium; and a phase-tunable waveguide platform coupled to the front end of the semiconductor gain medium, the phase-tunable waveguide platform comprising: a first resonator and a second resonator; at least one resonator being a phase-tunable resonator; wherein the first resonator is any one of: an MMI device including a pair of reflective surfaces defining a resonator cavity therebetween such that the device is configured to act as a Fabry-Perot filter; a ring resonator; or a waveguide Fabry-Perot filter; and wherein the second resonator is any one of: an MMI device including a pair of reflective surfaces defining a resonator cavity therebetween such that the device is configured to act as a Fabry-Perot filter; a ring resonator; or a waveguide Fabry-Perot filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Rockley Photonics Limited
    Inventors: Andrew Rickman, Aaron John Zilkie
  • Patent number: 9649018
    Abstract: A V-LED emits violet narrowband light. A G-LED emits green light. A filter limits wavelengths of the green light to pass green narrowband light. The V-LED and the G-LED are turned on alternately to apply the violet narrowband light and the green narrowband light alternately to an object. A complementary color image sensor has a Cy pixel and an Mg pixel, which are sensitive to both the violet narrowband light and the green narrowband light. The complementary color image sensor images the object under illumination of the violet narrowband light to output a first image signal and images the object under illumination of the green narrowband light to output a second image signal. Based on the first and second image signals, a special image, in which surface structure (surface blood vessels) and subsurface structure (subsurface blood vessels) are isolated from each other, is produced and displayed on a monitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshinori Morimoto, Hiroshi Fujita
  • Patent number: 9640943
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, for an external cavity FP laser. In one aspect, an apparatus is provided that includes a FP laser diode; a Faraday rotator (FR) coupled to receive an optical output of the FP laser diode and that rotates a polarization of the optical output; an optical fiber coupled at a first end to receive the output of the FR; a WDM filter coupled to a second end of the optical fiber to receive the optical signal from the optical fiber; and a FRM coupled directly or indirectly to an output of the WDM filter, wherein an optical output of the WDM filter is partially reflected by the FRM such that the polarization of a reflected beam is rotated, and wherein the reflected optical signal then passes through the FR with its polarization being rotated by the FR before it is injected back into the FP laser diode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Oplink Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Zuon-Min Chuang, Rang-Chen Yu, Domenico Di Mola, Sung-Ping Huang
  • Patent number: 9634466
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an external cavity type laser provided with a wavemeter capable of precisely measuring a wavelength of a laser beam based on a transmission wavelength band of a wavelength selective filter inserted into a cavity regardless of a driving current of a laser diode chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: PHOVEL.CO.LTD.
    Inventor: Jeong-Soo Kim
  • Patent number: 9634464
    Abstract: There is presented a method of for generating a compressed optical pulse (112) comprising emitting from a wavelength tunable microcavity laser system (102), comprising an optical cavity (104) with a mechanically adjustable cavity length (L), a primary optical pulse (111) having a primary temporal width (T1) while adjusting the optical cavity length (L) so that said primary optical pulse comprises temporally separated photons of different wavelengths, and transmitting said pulse through a dispersive medium (114), so as to generate a compressed optical pulse (112) with a secondary temporal width (T2), wherein the secondary temporal width (T2) is smaller than the primary temporal width (T1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Danmarks Tekniske Universitet
    Inventor: Kresten Yvind
  • Patent number: 9628142
    Abstract: An optical transmitter includes four LDs, four LDDs that drive the LDs, four monitoring PDs that convert some of optical signals emitted from the LDs to electrical sisals and output them, a controller that controls the LDDs in response to the electrical monitoring signals generated by the monitoring PDs, and a switch that receives the electrical monitoring signals though signal lines from the monitoring PDs and electrically connects only a selected signal line selected by the controller to the controller. The controller outputs a selection signal that selects the selected signal line from the signal lines in order to the switch, and controls the LDDs so that an optical power of the LD corresponding to the PD approaches a predetermined value, according to the electrical monitoring signal outputted from the PD corresponding to the selected signal line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Hiromi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9621386
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for detecting a center frequency of an input signal, the input signal including a carrier signal modulated with a modulation signal. Detecting a frequency of a second signal. Determining a difference signal between the center frequency of the input signal and the frequency of the second signal. Modifying the frequency of the second signal based on the difference signal to provide the carrier signal. And, outputting the carrier signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: TM IP Holdings, LLC
    Inventor: Richard C. Gerdes
  • Patent number: 9596033
    Abstract: An optical paired channel transceiver component comprises an optical channel interface to concurrently receive an inbound optical signal at a designated receiver frequency, and output an outbound optical signal at a designated transmitter frequency distinct from the receiver frequency; a receiver operable to process the inbound optical signal at the receiver frequency; a laser input interface to receive a laser input at the transmitter frequency to produce the outbound optical signal; and a resonant optical structure optically coupling each of the laser input interface and the receiver to the optical channel interface via respective optical paths, and having a resonance corresponding to one of the transmitter frequency and the receiver frequency such that a resonant one of the inbound signal and the outbound signal is resonantly redirected by the resonant optical structure along a resonant one of the respective paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Elenion Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Hochberg, Bernd-Harald Horst Jurgen Rohde
  • Patent number: 9596034
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes systems and methods for beam wavelength stabilization and output beam combining in dense wavelength multiplexing (DWM) systems. Systems and methods are described for performing beam wavelength stabilization and output beam combining in DWM systems while achieving increased wall-plug efficiency and enhanced beam quality. Interferometric external resonator configurations can be used to greatly increase the brightness of DWM system output beams by stabilizing the wavelengths of the beams emitted by the emitters of the DWM laser source. The resonant cavities described by the present disclosure provide advantages over the prior art in the form of decreased cost, increased wall plug efficiency and increased output beam quality. Particular implementations of the disclosure achieve increased wall plug efficiency and increased output beam quality through a combination of innovative cavity designs and the utilization of reflection diffraction elements for beam combining.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: TRUMPF LASER GMBH
    Inventors: Hagen Zimer, Alexander Killi, Christoph Tillkorn, Steffen Ried
  • Patent number: 9585570
    Abstract: An object information acquiring apparatus is used which includes: a laser medium; a temperature controlling unit for controlling a temperature of the laser medium; an excitation unit for exciting the laser medium; a control unit for controlling the temperature controlling unit and the excitation unit; a probe for receiving acoustic waves that are generated when an object is irradiated with a laser beam from the laser medium; and a processing unit for acquiring characteristic information relating to the object from the acoustic waves, wherein the control unit does not operate the excitation unit until the temperature of the laser medium falls within a predetermined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Koichi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9570886
    Abstract: The invention relates to a tunable laser, the tunable laser comprising a first waveguide, a second waveguide and a semiconductor layer being arranged to separate the first waveguide from the second waveguide. The first waveguide comprises a first coupling portion and an active portion for generating a laser signal. The second waveguide comprises a second coupling portion and a tuning portion for tuning the wavelength of the laser signal. The first coupling portion and the second coupling portion are configured to couple the laser signal between the first waveguide and the second waveguide through the semiconductor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ian Lealman
  • Patent number: 9570884
    Abstract: A laser apparatus may include: a master oscillator configured to output a pulsed laser beam at a repetition rate, the master oscillator including at least one semiconductor laser apparatus; at least one amplifier configured to amplify the pulsed laser beam from the master oscillator, the at least one amplifier being configured to include at least one gain bandwidth; and a controller for controlling a parameter affecting an output wavelength of the pulsed laser beam from the master oscillator such that a wavelength chirping range of the pulsed laser beam from the master oscillator overlaps at least a part of the at least one gain bandwidth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: GIGAPHOTON INC.
    Inventors: Krzysztof Nowak, Osamu Wakabayashi
  • Patent number: 9559487
    Abstract: A tunable laser that includes an array of parallel optical amplifiers is described. The laser may also include an intracavity N×M coupler that couples power between a cavity mirror and the array of parallel optical amplifiers. Phase adjusters in optical paths between the N×M coupler and the optical amplifiers can be used to adjust an amount of power output from M?1 ports of the N×M coupler. A tunable wavelength filter is incorporated in the laser cavity to select a lasing wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: Acacia Communications, Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher Doerr
  • Patent number: 9548589
    Abstract: An optical transmitter including two reflective regions formed at two opposite ends of an interference region along a first direction and at least three electrodes electrically coupled to the interference region, where the amount of electrical carriers inside the interference region can be modulated by changing the relative electrical fields among the three electrodes, so that the amount of photons generated inside the interference region can be modulated and resonant along the first direction and emit along a second direction that is different from the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: FORELUX INC.
    Inventors: Shu-Lu Chen, Yun-Chung Na
  • Patent number: 9547124
    Abstract: Concatenated distributed feedback lasers having novel waveguides are disclosed. The waveguides allow for coupling of the laser beam between active and passive waveguide structures and improved device design and output efficiency. Methods of making along with methods of using such devices are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: Thorlabs Quantum Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Catherine Genevieve Caneau, Feng Xie, Chung-En Zah
  • Patent number: 9537287
    Abstract: An apparatus comprising a burst-mode laser comprising an active layer and configured to emit an optical signal during a burst period, wherein a temperature change of the burst-mode laser causes the optical signal to shift in wavelength, and a heater thermally coupled to the active layer and configured to reduce a wavelength shift of the optical signal during the burst period by applying heat to the active layer based on timing of the burst period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: Futurewei Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Xuejin Yan, Jianmin Gong, Hongbing Lei, Jianhe Gao
  • Patent number: 9525492
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for controlling the emitting wavelength of a laser source (10) for a passive optical network, the laser source (10) comprising: a first Bragg mirror (12), a second Bragg mirror (14), a cavity (16) delimited by both Bragg mirrors (12, 14), the cavity (16) comprising an optical filter (18) and an active medium (20), the method comprising the steps of: measuring the temperature of the active medium (20), setting the temperature of the optical filter (18) in accordance with the measured temperature of the active medium (20), the temperature of the optical filter (18) being higher than the measured temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: COMMISSARIAT À L'ÉNERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ÉNERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Guang-Hua Duan, Romain Brenot, Alban Le Liepvre, Bruno Mourey
  • Patent number: 9525269
    Abstract: In various embodiments, wavelength beam combining laser systems incorporate etalons to establish external lasing cavities and/or to combine multiple input beams into a single output beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: TERADIODE, INC.
    Inventors: Bien Chann, James Burgess, Wang Zhou, Bryan Lochman, Francisco Villarreal-Saucedo
  • Patent number: 9519115
    Abstract: An optical circuit, wherein the effects of reflected light generated by an optical component are reduced. The optical circuit (100) is provided with an optical branching (110) for branching light, an optical coupler (114) for coupling a first portion of branched light to an optical waveguide (118) for transmission, and an optical reflecting unit (116) for reflecting a second portion of the branched light, the phase difference between the reflected light from the optical coupler (114) and the reflected light from the optical reflecting unit (116) being (2m?1)? (where m is an integer) on an input side of the optical branching (110).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: PHOTONICS ELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH ASSOCIATION
    Inventors: Kenichiro Yashiki, Masatoshi Tokushima
  • Patent number: 9486144
    Abstract: Using a laser source unit, pulse laser beams having a plurality of wavelengths is switched and emitted. A Q switch is inserted into an optical resonator including a pair of mirrors which face each other with a laser rod interposed therebetween. A wavelength selection unit includes a plurality of band pass filters having different transmission wavelengths, and selectively inserts the plurality of band pass filters into a light path of the optical resonator. A trigger control circuit controls driving unit that drives the wavelength selection unit so that the band pass filters inserted into the light path of the optical resonator are switched at a predetermined switching speed. In addition, the trigger control circuit causes the laser rod to be irradiated with excitation light from a flash lamp, and then turns on the Q switch at a timing when the wavelength selection unit inserts the band pass filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Hirota, Tadashi Kasamatsu
  • Patent number: 9478937
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes semiconductor external cavity laser with wide bandwidth frequency modulation capabilities. The laser is preferably packaged in a standard form-factor package, such as a 14-pin butterfly package. The front end of the cavity comprises an integrated planar circuit (e.g., silica-on-silicon planar lightwave circuit with Bragg gratings), and the “back facet” of the laser is implemented as a high-reflection (HR) coated LiNbO3 phase tuning section in the double pass configuration. AC-voltage signal applied to the electrodes of phase tuning section modulates a refractive index of the propagating TE-polarization mode of external cavity and produces frequency modulation. Such frequency modulation is not associated with any thermal behavior of the gain element included in the external cavity laser, and has a negligible phase delay over a wide bandwidth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Optasense, Inc.
    Inventors: Vladimir Kupershmidt, Lew Stolpner, Mazin Alalusi, Steve Yiqiang Li
  • Patent number: 9472922
    Abstract: An external cavity semiconductor laser light source comprises includes a semiconductor gain device operable to provide light amplification; a wavelength selection element including a diffraction grating; and light re-directors. The gain device, light re-directors and grating are arranged so that an optical resonator is established for light portions emitted by the gain device and diffracted by the diffraction grating. The resonator is an external cavity laser resonator. The light source is capable of varying an angle of incidence of radiation circulating in the resonator onto wavelength selection element to select a resonator radiation wavelength dependent on the angle of incidence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: EXALOS AG
    Inventors: Adrian Bachmann, Marcus Dulk
  • Patent number: 9450372
    Abstract: A tunable semiconductor laser incorporates a light generating structure in which light is generated and amplified by stimulated emission. The generated light is evanescently coupled into a first resonator of a first resonant optical reflector where the light is reflected back and forth between two end mirrors. A portion of this light, which is characterized by a series of resonant wavelengths, is evanescently coupled back into the light generating structure. One or more of the resonant wavelengths can be changed by modifying an optical path length of the first resonator. The tunable semiconductor laser further includes a second resonant optical reflector having a second resonator. The second resonator interacts with the light generating structure in a manner similar to the first resonator. A desired beat wavelength can be obtained by modifying the optical path length in one or both resonators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventor: Leonard Jan-Peter Ketelsen
  • Patent number: 9442480
    Abstract: A laser output control device controlling a laser oscillator includes: a switching section that switches, based on the basis of the size of a pulse width of a laser output command, a current command value used for controlling output of the laser light to either one of peak value control and average value control; a peak value command generating section generating a current command value for performing peak value control; and an average value command generating section generating a current command value for performing average value control; wherein an output value of the laser light measured by one measuring section is input to the peak value command generating section and the average value command generating section, and the current command value is generated such that the output value of the laser light becomes a value that corresponds to the laser output command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiki Koshimae, Teruaki Fukuoka
  • Patent number: 9441922
    Abstract: Enhanced stability for infrared countermeasure systems is provided by using a pair of single axis rate sensors having orthogonal active axes, preferably aligned with the elevation axis and the azimuth axis of the gimbal. The outputs of the orthogonal single axis rate sensors are used to detect instantaneous aircraft angular movement and to use the detected movement to drive the elevation and azimuth motors of the gimbal to move the output mirror for the gimbal to cancel the detected movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventors: Armando Corella, Charles T. Knorr
  • Patent number: 9415428
    Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods are provided for self-cleaning photovoltaic panels that utilize piezo devices capable of causing vibrational movement in the panels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Morteza Gharib, Derek Rinderknect
  • Patent number: 9417394
    Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method for spectrally dense comb-like filters fashioned with thick-guided-mode resonant gratings. A guided-mode resonance (GMR) filter has a film having a thickness many times larger than a wavelength of operation and the film has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The GMR filter further has a periodic pattern on the first surface of the film and an antireflection layer on the second surface of the film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: The Board of Regents of The University of Texas System
    Inventor: Robert Magnusson
  • Patent number: 9407055
    Abstract: A microlaser system includes an optical source, a microlaser, an actuator switch, and a photovoltaic power source. The microlaser, which includes a control element, is optically pumped by at least a portion of light emitted by the optical source. The actuator switch is configured to be activated by a triggering event. Furthermore, the photovoltaic power source is coupled in a series connection with the actuator switch and the control element, the series connection configured to connect the photovoltaic power source to the control element of the microlaser when the actuator switch is activated by the triggering event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Seheon Kim, Axel Scherer, Aditya Rajagopal, Chieh-Feng Chang
  • Patent number: 9407061
    Abstract: Provided herein is an external-cavity type wavelength tunable laser including gain medium configured to generate an optical signal and amplify the generated optical signal based on a bias current applied; an external reflector configured to be coupled optically with the gain medium; a second thermistor provided on the side of the gain medium and configured to measure a temperature of the gain medium; a first thermistor provided on the external reflector and configured to measure a temperature of the external reflector; and a thermoelectric cooler configured to transfer generated heat based on the temperatures measured by the first and second thermistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Byung Seok Choi, Ki Hong Yoon
  • Patent number: 9392944
    Abstract: A pulse laser beam is emitted in a desired wavelength sequence using a laser light source unit. A Q switch and a birefringent filter are inserted into an optical resonator including a pair of mirrors and facing each other with a laser rod interposed therebetween. The birefringent filter changes an oscillation wavelength of the optical resonator in association with rotational displacement. The rotation control unit rotates the birefringent filter at a predetermined rotation speed depending on the number of wavelengths included in the wavelength sequence of the pulse laser beam to be emitted. An emission control unit irradiates the laser rod with excitation light, and then turns on the Q switch at a timing when a rotational-displacement-position of the birefringent filter is set to a position corresponding to the wavelength of the pulse laser beam to be emitted, to cause the pulse laser beam to be emitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Tadashi Kasamatsu, Kaku Irisawa, Kazuhiro Hirota
  • Patent number: 9391420
    Abstract: Rather than down-convert optical frequencies, a QCL laser system directly generates a THz frequency comb in a compact monolithically integrated chip that can be locked to an absolute frequency without the need of a frequency-comb synthesizer. The monolithic, absolute frequency comb can provide a THz frequency reference and tool for high-resolution broad band spectroscopy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventor: Michael C. Wanke
  • Patent number: 9391713
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes systems and methods for beam wavelength stabilization and output beam combining in dense wavelength multiplexing (DWM) systems. Systems and methods are described for performing beam wavelength stabilization and output beam combining in DWM systems while achieving increased wall-plug efficiency and enhanced beam quality. Interferometric external resonator configurations can be used to greatly increase the brightness of DWM system output beams by stabilizing the wavelengths of the beams emitted by the emitters of the DWM laser source. The resonant cavities described by the present disclosure provide advantages over the prior art in the form of decreased cost, increased wall plug efficiency and increased output beam quality. Particular implementations of the disclosure achieve increased wall plug efficiency and increased output beam quality through a combination of innovative cavity designs and the utilization of reflection diffraction elements for beam combining.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: TRUMPF LASER GMBH
    Inventors: Hagen Zimer, Alexander Killi, Christoph Tillkorn, Steffen Ried
  • Patent number: 9389365
    Abstract: A single laser multi-frequency transmitter is provided, comprising: a laser generating given modes; an optical input bus; a common optical output bus; coupling optics coupling the laser to the optical input bus; a plurality of ring resonator filters: arranged in series along the optical input bus in a one-to-one relationship with a sub-band of the given modes; optically coupled to both the optical input bus and the common optical output bus; and each configured to couple one respective frequency from the sub-band to the common optical output bus; and, a plurality of ring resonator modulators: arranged in series along the common optical output bus in a one-to-one relationship with the plurality of ring resonator filters; and each configured to modulate one given respective frequency from the sub-band so that all modes in the sub-band are modulated on the common optical output bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: RANOVUS INC.
    Inventors: David John Nicholson, Dylan Logan, Douglas J. S. Beckett, Jeffrey Otha Hutchins
  • Patent number: 9380944
    Abstract: A pulse laser beam is emitted in a desired wavelength sequence using a laser source unit. A Q switch and a birefringent filter are inserted into an optical resonator including a pair of mirrors and facing each other with a laser rod interposed therebetween. The birefringent filter changes an oscillation wavelength of the optical resonator in association with rotational displacement. A trigger control circuit rotates the birefringent filter at a predetermined rotation speed depending on the number of wavelengths included in the wavelength sequence of the pulse laser beam to be emitted. In addition, the trigger control circuit irradiates the laser rod with excitation light, and turns on the Q switch at a timing when a rotational displacement position of the birefringent filter is set to a position corresponding to the wavelength of the pulse laser beam to be emitted, to cause the pulse laser beam to be emitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Hirota, Tadashi Kasamatsu
  • Patent number: 9385814
    Abstract: Systems and apparatus for data communications comprising a plurality of wavelength tunable submodules in an array is provided. Each submodule has a wavelength tunable laser, and each submodule comprises, as an individual unit, a self-contained wavelength locker having optical and/or optoelectronic functions. The system may be a transponder array comprising a plurality of WDM or DWDM modules. In some embodiments, the individual submodules may comprise photonic integrated wavelength tunable lasers with other optical, electrical and optoelectronic components. Each wavelength tunable submodule incorporated into the module or array can have the same or different optical wavelength and other parameters including but not limited to modulation format. By utilizing the wavelength tunable laser submodules to build a module or array, the need for individual modules dedicated to wavelength sub-bands in the array is eliminated. The same tunable module can be used to fill all the wavelengths on a transmission fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: OE SOLUTIONS AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Daniel Jacob Blumenthal, Henrik N. Poulsen
  • Patent number: 9385508
    Abstract: System and method for operating a single unit of light-amplifying medium, structured to produce light with a complex spatial spectrum including multitude of high-order spatial modes, in external cavity configured, in conjunction with an optical etalon installed intra-cavity, to reduce spatial spectrum of such light to provide an output containing smaller number of high-order spatial modes and, optionally, only the lowest spatial mode at power levels on the order of 1 W or higher (for example, tens or hundreds of Watts).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Inventor: Mieng Pai
  • Patent number: 9372339
    Abstract: A wavelength swept light source includes a sawtooth waveform as a main waveform and an exponential component of the sawtooth waveform to the controlled voltage of the electro-optic deflector. The controlled voltage is controlled so that, as an oscillation wavelength to be swept is swept towards a longer wavelength side, a change rate of the oscillation wavelength is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Communications
    Inventors: Seiji Toyoda, Kazunori Naganuma, Yuichi Okabe, Shogo Yagi, Kazutoshi Kato, Masahiro Ueno, Takashi Sakamoto, Tadayuki Imai, Jun Miyazu, Kazuto Noguchi, Shigeo Ishibashi
  • Patent number: 9373935
    Abstract: An optical lasing device includes a gain medium arranged in a lasing cavity having an optical axis, the gain medium providing light amplification; a periodic grid generator filter arranged in the lasing cavity; a channel selector arranged in the lasing cavity and configured to select a lasing mode of the amplified light corresponding to a frequency channel defined by the periodic grid generator filter according to an optimization criterion; and a band-pass filter arranged in the lasing cavity and configured to suppress lasing modes which are outside of a pass-band of the band-pass filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Marco Piazza, Alberto Rampulla, Michele Re
  • Patent number: 9360627
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are described which provide for wavelength drift compensation in a photonic waveguide by application of an electric field to a waveguide having a strained waveguide core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Lei Bi, Roy Meade, Gurtej Sandhu