Frequency Patents (Class 372/28)
  • Patent number: 8571077
    Abstract: A laser system can include a laser and a laser output modulator to modulate the output of the laser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: First Solar, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Baker, Sudirukkuge Tharanga Jinasundera, Weixin Li
  • Patent number: 8567960
    Abstract: Emissive quantum photonic imagers comprised of a spatial array of digitally addressable multicolor pixels. Each pixel is a vertical stack of multiple semiconductor laser diodes, each of which can generate laser light of a different color. Within each multicolor pixel, the light generated from the stack of diodes is emitted perpendicular to the plane of the imager device via a plurality of vertical waveguides that are coupled to the optical confinement regions of each of the multiple laser diodes comprising the imager device. Each of the laser diodes comprising a single pixel is individually addressable, enabling each pixel to simultaneously emit any combination of the colors associated with the laser diodes at any required on/off duty cycle for each color. Each individual multicolor pixel can simultaneously emit the required colors and brightness values by controlling the on/off duty cycles of their respective laser diodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Ostendo Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hussein S. El-Ghoroury, Robert G. W. Brown, Dale A. McNeill, Huibert DenBoer, Andrew J. Lanzone
  • Patent number: 8565274
    Abstract: Techniques and devices for providing optical locking of optical resonators and lasers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: OEwaves, Inc.
    Inventors: Lute Maleki, Andrey B. Matsko, Anatoliy A. Savchenkov, Vladimir S. Iichenko, Wei Liang, David Seidel, Jerry Byrd
  • Patent number: 8554087
    Abstract: A method for imaging objects through turbid media includes generating a repetitive pulsed light beam under control of a pulse shaper, propagating the light beam through turbid media, and receiving and imaging the light beam at a sensor. Propagation through turbid media causes scattering of the light, and the sensor captures scattered pulses to produce an image. The pulse shaper controls pulse width, frequency, repetition rate and chirp of the generated light pulses according to a feedback signal received from the sensor, to improve image quality. A system for imaging objects through turbid media includes a laser for generating a light beam; a pulse shaper for controlling said light beam, and a sensor, in communication with the pulse shaper, for capturing the image of said light beam through a turbid medium. Pulse width is less than 250 femtoseconds to reduce attenuation of the light beam through the turbid medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: The Trustees of Dartmouth College
    Inventor: Ulf Osterberg
  • Patent number: 8494015
    Abstract: A laser device suitable for emitting pulses with a variable period and with stabilized energy includes: a resonant cavity including an amplifying medium presenting a stabilized gain G and suitable for emitting laser pulses at a wavelength ?, and a Q-switch, and a source of continuous pumping of the amplifying medium. It furthermore includes an injector positioned outside the resonant cavity, suitable for emitting a beam of wavelength ? into the amplifying material for the duration of the pumping, and which includes means for adjusting the power of this beam in order to reduce the gain of the amplifying medium to G/k, where k is a real number greater than 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventor: Pascal Rousseau
  • Patent number: 8488640
    Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for creating a coherent optical comb comprising a plurality of lasers, each laser providing an optical output channel; means for combining each optical channel output; a modulator for modulating the combined optical channel outputs, to provide a modulated signal; means for feeding back said modulated signal to said plurality of lasers, such that each laser output channel is phase and/or frequency locked with respect to at least one other of said plurality of lasers. A discrete optical comb is obtained without the need for excessively high power laser outputs and only employs a single (optional) wavelength locker for all channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: University College Cork
    Inventors: Frank Peters, Andrew Ellis
  • Patent number: 8488639
    Abstract: Apparatus, systems, and methods having a frequency comb of large spacing can be used in a variety of applications. In various embodiments, a frequency comb is generated from a slave laser by injecting an optical output from a drive laser into the slave laser. One or more parameters of the drive laser and/or the slave laser can be adjusted such that a frequency comb can be generated at a multiple of the repetition rate of the drive laser. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: STC.UNM
    Inventors: Jean-Claude Diels, Ladan Arissian
  • Publication number: 20130163624
    Abstract: A laser device including a plurality of oscillating means for oscillating a plurality of laser lights being continuous lights and having frequencies different from each other, respectively, multiplexing means for multiplexing, after amplifying or without amplifying, the respective laser lights oscillated from the respective oscillating means at a predetermined position to generate a multiplexed light, and phase control means for controlling the phase of each of the laser lights so that a peak in output of the multiplexed light repeatedly appears at predetermined time intervals at the predetermined position (so that the same pulse temporal waveform repeatedly appears at predetermined time intervals).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2011
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Applicants: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K., OSAKA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Noriaki Miyanaga, Masayuki Fujita, Takashi Kurita, Toshiyuki Kawashima
  • Publication number: 20130148675
    Abstract: A high-efficiency laser diode is provided. Since a ?/4 phase-shifted distributed feedback (DFB) laser diode has a great coupling coefficient, mode stability is poor due to spatial hole burning when multiplication of the coupling coefficient by length of a resonator is equal to or greater than 2. In the inventive concept, a region capable of controlling spatial hole burning is inserted into a semiconductor laser diode structure. Thus, an ultrahigh-speed pulse laser diode having a repetition rate in the band ranging from 100 GHz to 300 GHz is obtained. In addition, a single-mode laser diode with improved energy use efficiency is implemented by changing the configuration of a laser diode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Publication date: June 13, 2013
    Applicant: ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventor: Young Ahn LEEM
  • Publication number: 20130128905
    Abstract: A laser that emits light at all available frequencies distributed throughout the spectral bandwidth or emission bandwidth of the laser in a single pulse or pulse train is disclosed. The laser is pumped or seeded with photons having frequencies distributed throughout the superunitary gain bandwidth of the gain medium. The source of photons is a frequency modulated photon source, and the frequency modulation is controlled to occur in one or more cycles timed to occur within a time scale for pulsing the laser.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2012
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Inventor: STEPHEN MOFFATT
  • Publication number: 20130128906
    Abstract: Provided is a laser oscillation apparatus capable of stabilizing resonance even when finesse of an optical resonator is increased and generating stronger laser light than that of a traditional apparatus by accumulating laser light in the optical resonator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2011
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Inventors: Yosuke Honda, Junji Urakawa
  • Publication number: 20130121354
    Abstract: There is provided an optical interconnection system including a plurality of semiconductor integrated devices each including a surface emitting laser array device including a plurality of surface emitting laser devices each emitting an output laser signal light of a different wavelength modulated based on an input modulated signal, a silicon optical waveguide that guides output laser signal lights emitted from the surface emitting laser devices of each of the semiconductor integrated devices to another semiconductor integrated device, a plurality of optical couplers respectively corresponding to the semiconductor integrated devices and guiding the output laser signal lights to the silicon optical waveguide, and a plurality of optical splitters respectively corresponding to the semiconductor integrated devices, receiving the output laser signal lights guided by the silicon optical waveguide, and inputting an input laser signal light to a corresponding one of the semiconductor integrated devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2013
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Applicant: FURUKAWA ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: FURUKAWA ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
  • Publication number: 20130100973
    Abstract: In the field of the production of very high frequencies, for example from 1 gigahertz to several terahertz, by beating the frequencies of two laser beams together, a device includes a resonant optical cavity having very stable dimensions receiving the beams, with for each beam, an interrogation device of the resonant cavity supplying an electrical signal representing the difference in frequency between the light frequency of the beam and a resonance frequency of the resonant cavity. The frequency of each beam is servo controlled to minimize the frequency difference observed. The laser beams are produced by a dual-frequency laser producing two beams of different frequencies and orthogonal polarizations. A polarization separator is used for separate servo control of the beams according to polarization, and a polarizer is placed behind a main output of the resonant cavity producing an electromagnetic beam mixing the two polarizations and amplitude-modulated at the beat frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2011
    Publication date: April 25, 2013
    Applicant: CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE
    Inventors: François Bondu, Marc Brunel, Mehdi Alouini, Marc Vallet, Goulc'hen Loas, Marco Romanelli
  • Patent number: 8416819
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method and to a device (1) by which a train (2, 2) of short laser pulses of a mode-coupled laser (3) is compensated with respect to the carrier envelope offset frequency of the individual lines contained in the associated frequency comb. The aim of the disclosure is to determine the carrier envelope offset frequency and to utilize said frequency to operate an acousto-optical frequency shifter (13). In said shifter, the uncompensated train of temporally equidistantly short laser pulses is diffracted in a first order such that the individual lines of the frequency comb are shifted by the carrier envelope offset frequency. The resulting compensated train of short laser pulses has a frequency comb, the individual lines of which are integral multiples of the repetition frequency of the individual light pulses in the train of short laser pulses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Femtolasers Produktions GmbH
    Inventors: Christian Grebing, Sebastian Koke, Günter Steinmeyer
  • Patent number: 8416818
    Abstract: An apparatus and source arrangement for filtering an electromagnetic radiation can be provided which may include at least one spectral separating arrangement configured to physically separate one or more components of the electromagnetic radiation based on a frequency of the electromagnetic radiation. The apparatus and source arrangement may also have at least one continuously rotating optical arrangement which is configured to receive at least one signal that is associated with the one or more components. Further, the apparatus and source arrangement can include at least one beam selecting arrangement configured to receive the signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation
    Inventors: Brett Eugene Bouma, Seok-Hyun (Andy) Yun, Wang-Yuhl (William) Oh, Johannes F. De Boer, Guillermo J. Tearney
  • Patent number: 8411711
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser comprises an electrically isolated active section and at least one noise reducing section and operates on a ground state transition of a quantum dot array having inhomogeneous broadening greater than 10 nm. The laser preferably emits more than 10 optical modes such that a total relative intensity noise of each optical mode is less than 0.2% in the 0.001 GHz to 10 GHz range. The spectral power density is preferably higher than 2 mW/nm. An optical transmission system and a method of operating a quantum dot laser with low relative intensity noise of each optical mode are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Innolume GmbH
    Inventors: Alexey Gubenko, Alexey Kovsh, Greg Wojcik, Daniil Livshits, Igor Krestnikov, Sergey Mikhrin
  • Publication number: 20130027708
    Abstract: An Optical Parametric Oscillator (OPO) capable of rapid or broadband frequency tuning by non-mechanical or mechanical means includes a resonant cavity with one or more non-linear crystals in an optical path thereof. The non-linear crystals may be driven by actuators. A pump laser pulse is transmitted into the resonant cavity with one or more seed beams having a desired wavelength. The output beam from the resonant cavity may have the same center wavelength as the one or more seed beams which may be modulated at a frequency larger than that of the pump laser, or the inverse of the pulse duration. The OPO may be used in Light Detection And Ranging (LIDAR) or Differential Absorption LIDAR (DIAL) analysis by intra-pulse modulation of output to measure absorption at multiple frequencies for each pulse of a pump beam. Sum Frequency Generator configurations may be suitable for narrow and broadband UV generation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2012
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Applicant: Utah State University Research Foundation
    Inventor: Utah State University Research Foundation
  • Publication number: 20130021425
    Abstract: Provided is a recording apparatus including a self-excited oscillation semiconductor laser that has a double quantum well separate confinement heterostructure and includes a saturable absorber section to which a negative bias voltage is applied and a gain section into which a gain current is injected, an optical separation unit, an objective lens, a light reception element, a pulse detection unit, a reference signal generation unit, a phase comparison unit, a recording signal generation unit, and a control unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2012
    Publication date: January 24, 2013
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Goro Fujita, Tsutomu Maruyama
  • Publication number: 20130010821
    Abstract: A laser system 100 includes: a laser module 10 including: a DFB laser 12 that oscillates a laser beam 24; a heater 14 that adjusts a temperature of the DFB laser 12; and a harmonic generation element 18 that converts the laser beam 24 into a harmonic beam 34 of the laser beam 24; and a control unit 40 that modulates a wavelength of the laser beam 24, detects a detection signal synchronized with a modulation signal used for the modulation from an intensity of the harmonic beam 34, and controls a value of a heater current 28 to be injected to the heater 14 so as to reduce an amplitude of the detection signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2011
    Publication date: January 10, 2013
    Applicant: QD LASER, INC.
    Inventor: Yoshitaka Yokoyama
  • Publication number: 20120300800
    Abstract: A laser system having separately electrically operable cavities for emitting modulated narrow linewidth light with first, second and third mirror structures separated by a first active region between the first and the second and by a second active region between the second and the third. The second mirror structure has twenty of more periods of mirror pairs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2012
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Inventors: Mary K. Brenner, Klein L. Johnson
  • Publication number: 20120298650
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of generating a laser pulse of a desired energy and micro-machining a substrate using the laser pulse. A beam of light is provided from a laser source. The beam is directed via a modulator to produce an output laser pulse with a portion of the laser pulse being used to determine the energy of the laser pulse. The modulator is controlled so as to switch off the output laser pulse when the determined energy of the output laser pulse reaches a threshold value. The output laser pulse is steered to a substrate for micro-machining.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2011
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Inventors: Krzysztof Michal Nowak, Howard John Baker, Roy McBride, Jozef Jacek Wendland
  • Patent number: 8315282
    Abstract: A control system for improving and stabilizing Fourier domain mode locking (FDML) operation. The control system may also provide regulation of FDML operational parameters such as filter tuning, laser gain, polarization, polarization chromaticity, elliptical polarization retardance, and/or dispersion. The control system may be located internal to or external from the FDML laser cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Robert A. Huber, James G. Fujimoto, Desmond C. Adler
  • Patent number: 8300669
    Abstract: A control system and apparatus for use with an ultra-fast laser is provided. In another aspect of the present invention, the apparatus includes a laser, pulse shaper, detection device and control system. A multiphoton intrapulse interference method is used to characterize the spectral phase of laser pulses and to compensate any distortions in an additional aspect of the present invention. In another aspect of the present invention, a system employs multiphoton intrapulse interference phase scan. Furthermore, another aspect of the present invention locates a pulse shaper and/or MIIPS unit between a laser oscillator and an output of a laser amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Board of Trustees of Michigan State University
    Inventors: Marcos Dantus, Igor Pastirk, Vadim Lozovoy, Matthew Comstock
  • Publication number: 20120269521
    Abstract: To efficiently apply jitter to an optical signal using a simple configuration, provided is an optical signal generating apparatus that outputs an optical pulse pattern signal including jitter, the optical signal generating apparatus comprising a light source section that outputs laser light having an optical frequency corresponding to a frequency control signal, an optical modulation section that modulates an optical signal output by the light source section, according to a designated pulse pattern, and an optical jitter generating section that delays an optical signal passed by the optical modulation section according to the optical frequency, to apply jitter to the optical signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2011
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Applicant: ADVANTEST CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shin Masuda, Kazunori Shiota
  • Publication number: 20120269215
    Abstract: A bias circuit of an electro-absorption modulated laser and a calibration method thereof are provided. The bias circuit includes a drive circuit and a direct current bias voltage circuit. The drive circuit is used for providing a forward bias voltage to a laser diode in the electro-absorption modulated laser to generate laser. The direct current bias voltage circuit is connected to a cathode of an electro-absorption modulator in the electro-absorption modulated laser, and provides a positive direct current bias voltage to the cathode to enable the reverse bias voltage of the electro-absorption modulator to fall within the range of modulation. When the reverse bias voltage falls within the range of modulation, the electro-absorption modulator utilizes the laser generated by the laser diode as optical carrier wave, modulates the optical carrier wave with the modulation voltage, and outputs a modulated optical signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2010
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Applicant: ZTE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shusheng Lv
  • Patent number: 8288967
    Abstract: A LED control circuit and method determine the frequency and duty of a LED driving signal according to a swing control signal and a dimming control signal, respectively. Responsive to the swing control signal, a pulse edge generator generates a clock whose frequency is determined by the swing control signal. Responsive to the clock and the dimming control signal, a duty ratio controller generates the LED driving signal whose frequency is determined by the clock frequency and whose duty is determined by the dimming control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Richtek Technology Corp.
    Inventor: Jing-Meng Liu
  • Patent number: 8289523
    Abstract: In a method for generating a synthetic wavelength, particularly for an interferometric distance measuring setup, with a primary laser source defining a primary frequency ?0 and at least a first sideband frequency ?1 of the primary frequency ?0, laser radiation with the first sideband frequency ?1 and a corresponding first wavelength is provided wherein the first sideband frequency ?1 is continuously shifted, particularly by modulating the primary laser source. The synthetic wavelength is generated by combining the first wavelength and a second wavelength which is defined by the primary laser source, particularly by superposition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Leica Geosystems AG
    Inventors: Sébastien Le Floch, Yves Salvade, Thomas Jensen, Marcel Rohner
  • Patent number: 8262235
    Abstract: A laser projector comprises an oscillation device for displacing at least one of a plurality of optical elements, which constitute the projection optical system of the laser projector, periodically along the direction of the optical axis of laser light. The laser projector reduces the speckle of a projection image on an arbitrary screen to such an extent as it cannot be recognized with human eyes, without having a significant effect on the image resolution, by periodically displacing the position of the smallest spot of laser light projected from the projection optical system. An image projection method is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Opto, Inc.
    Inventor: Kenji Konno
  • Patent number: 8248001
    Abstract: A LED control circuit and method generate a high frequency clock signal with a fixed duty for a LED driver, to supply a switching current to drive a LED to emit light flashing at a modulated high frequency and with a fixed duty. By controlling the flashing LED light within certain flashing frequency range, the circuit and method allow a LED light source for expelling, confusing or trapping insects but serving only an illuminative or decorative purpose to human eyes, due to the difference between human beings and insects in visual perception of flashing frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Richtek Technology Corp.
    Inventor: Jing-Meng Liu
  • Patent number: 8238389
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods of controlling a frequency-converted diode laser system are disclosed. The diode laser systems can include embodiments of thermally coupled elements facilitating temperature stabilization. Aspects of some methods include monitoring the output of a stabilized diode laser system to reduce noise of the output laser beam. Other aspects of some methods include adjusting the temperature of a frequency converter based on noise in the output beam, and/or the current provided to drive the diode laser. Systems incorporating such control aspects, and others, are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: CVI Laser, LLC
    Inventors: David E. Hargis, Neil E. Vadnais, John O'Shaughnessy, Eric B. Takeuchi, Scott Paterson
  • Publication number: 20120189027
    Abstract: A system and method for controllably chirping electromagnetic radiation from a radiation source includes an optical cavity arrangement. The optical cavity arrangement enables electromagnetic radiation to be produced with a substantially linear chirp rate and a configurable period. By selectively injecting electromagnetic radiation into the optical cavity, the electromagnetic radiation may be produced with a single resonant mode that is frequency shifted at the substantially linear chirp rate. Producing the electromagnetic radiation with a single resonant mode may increase the coherence length of the electromagnetic radiation, which may be advantageous when the electromagnetic radiation is implemented in various applications. For example, the electromagnetic radiation produced by the optical cavity arrangement may enhance a range, speed, accuracy, and/or other aspects of a laser radar system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2011
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Inventor: Kendall BELSLEY
  • Patent number: 8179933
    Abstract: Particular embodiments of the present disclosure relate systems and methods for evaluating visible light sources. According to one embodiment, a method of evaluating a visible light source including a semiconductor laser having a gain section, a wavelength selective section, and a phase section includes applying a gain drive signal to the gain section of the semiconductor laser at a gain modulation frequency, and applying a triangular wave drive signal to the wavelength selective section of the semiconductor laser at a wavelength selective modulation frequency that is greater than the gain modulation frequency. The light source emits a plurality of optical output pulses. Output power values of the optical output pulses at a selected wavelength are detected. The output power value of one or more selected output pulses is compared with an output power threshold value to generate an indication of whether the visible light source satisfies an output power specification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventor: Steven Joseph Gregorski
  • Patent number: 8175126
    Abstract: This invention relates to opto-electronic systems using semiconductor lasers driven by optical phase-locked loops that control the laser's optical phase and frequency. Feedback control provides a means for precise, wideband control of optical frequency and phase, augmented further by four wave mixing stages and digitally stitched independent optical waveforms for enhanced tunability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignees: Telaris, Inc., California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: George Rakuljic, Naresh Satyan, Arseny Vasilyev, Ammon Yariv
  • Publication number: 20120106160
    Abstract: A laser source assembly for providing an assembly output beam includes a first emitter, a second emitter, and a third emitter. The first emitter emits a first beam along a first beam axis that is substantially parallel to and spaced apart from an assembly axis. The second emitter emits a second beam along a second beam axis that is substantially parallel to and spaced apart from the assembly axis. The third emitter emits a third beam along a third beam axis that is substantially parallel to and spaced apart from the assembly axis. The first beam axis, the second beam axis and the third beam axis are positioned spaced apart about and substantially equidistant from the assembly axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2011
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Inventors: Michael Pushkarsky, David F. Arnone, Matt Barre, David P. Caffey, Salvatore F. Crivello, Timothy Day, Kyle Thomas
  • Publication number: 20120093181
    Abstract: The invention relates to a laser device, comprising a radiation source (1) that emits radiation having a spectrum in the form of a frequency comb having a plurality of equidistant spectral lines, and a difference frequency generator (5) that converts the radiation in such a manner that the spectrum of the converted radiation once again has the form of a frequency comb, whereby the frequencies of the spectral lines in the spectrum of the converted radiation are harmonics of a base frequency. The invention proposes that a frequency multiplier (6) follows the difference frequency generator (5) in the course of the radiation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2011
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Applicant: TOPTICA PHOTONICS AG
    Inventor: Thomas HELLERER
  • Patent number: 8160114
    Abstract: A single-mode, etched facet distributed Bragg reflector laser includes an AlGaInAs/InP laser cavity, a front mirror stack with multiple Fabry-Perot elements, a rear DBR reflector, and a rear detector. The front mirror stack elements and the rear reflector elements include input and output etched facets, and the laser cavity is an etched ridge cavity, all formed from an epitaxial wafer by a two-step lithography and CAIBE process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: BinOptics Corporation
    Inventors: Alex A. Behfar, Kiyofumi Muro, Cristian B. Stagarescu, Alfred T. Schremer
  • Publication number: 20120063476
    Abstract: The present application relates to comb frequency generator devices generally and more particularly to the use of comb generators for use in fibre optic communications. More particularly, the application provides a frequency comb generator device. The device comprises a laser (30), a biasing circuit for providing a DC bias current (26), an RF circuit (22) providing a RF signal and a drive circuit (28) for combining the RF signal with the DC bias current to provide a drive current to the laser (30). With the DC bias current below threshold of the laser diode and RF bias with a frequence close to the relaxation ascillation frequency of the laser diode, a periodic pulse train is emitted with constant phase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2010
    Publication date: March 15, 2012
    Applicant: DUBLIN CITY UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Prince Anandarajah, Liam Barry
  • Patent number: 8130802
    Abstract: A tunable laser includes an optical gain medium, a first resonator, a periodically tunable optical filter, and a second resonator in which light of a laser wavelength exhibits a round trip time T. The optical filter is arranged between the first resonator and the second resonator and is tuned with a period t. The period t is governed by t=(n/m) T, where n and m are integers and m/n is not an integer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen
    Inventor: Robert Alexander Huber
  • Patent number: 8126025
    Abstract: A laser light source apparatus includes a first laser array light source that emits first-wavelength light, and a second laser array light source that emits second-wavelength light, the second wavelength being different from the first wavelength. The first laser array light source includes a first fundamental wave laser array that produces first fundamental wave light having a first original wavelength, and a first wavelength conversion element that wavelength-converts the first fundamental wave light into the first-wavelength light. The second laser array light source includes a second fundamental wave laser array that produces second fundamental wave light having a second original wavelength different from the first original wavelength, and a second wavelength conversion element that wavelength-converts the second fundamental wave light into the second-wavelength light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Takashi Takeda
  • Publication number: 20120002689
    Abstract: An OPO is disclosed capable of rapid frequency tuning by non-mechanical means. The OPO includes a resonant cavity including one or more non-linear crystals in an optical path thereof. A pump laser pulse is transmitted into the resonant cavity simultaneously with a seed beam having a desired wavelength. The output beam from the resonant cavity has the same center wavelength as the seed beam. The wavelength of the seed beam may be modulated at a frequency larger than the pulse rate of the pump laser or larger than the inverse of the pulse duration. The OPO disclosed may be used to perform DIAL analysis wherein intra-pulse modulation of an output beam is used to obtain measurements of absorption at multiple frequencies for each pulse of a pump beam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2011
    Publication date: January 5, 2012
    Applicant: UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Michael Wojcik, Robert Foltynowicz
  • Patent number: 8081670
    Abstract: A system and method for controllably chirping electromagnetic radiation from a radiation source includes an optical cavity arrangement. The optical cavity arrangement enables electromagnetic radiation to be produced with a substantially linear chirp rate and a configurable period. By selectively injecting electromagnetic radiation into the optical cavity, the electromagnetic radiation may be produced with a single resonant mode that is frequency shifted at the substantially linear chirp rate. Producing the electromagnetic radiation with a single resonant mode may increase the coherence length of the electromagnetic radiation, which may be advantageous when the electromagnetic radiation is implemented in various applications. For example, the electromagnetic radiation produced by the optical cavity arrangement may enhance a range, speed, accuracy, and/or other aspects of a laser radar system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: Digital Signal Corporation
    Inventor: Kendall Belsley
  • Patent number: 8045593
    Abstract: A method of controlling a frequency-converted laser source is provided where the laser source comprises a laser cavity, an external optical feedback component, a wavelength selective component, and a wavelength conversion device and the method comprises driving a gain section of the laser cavity with a gain signal that comprises a data component and a modulation component. The modulation component of the gain signal comprises a gain modulation amplitude IMOD that is sufficient to shift the available cavity modes in the spectral domain such that lasing at several different cavity modes sequentially is established as the gain signal is modulated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Jacques Gollier, Dmitri Vladislavovich Kuksenkov
  • Publication number: 20110243164
    Abstract: Architectures for coherently combining an array of fiber-based lasers are provided. By matching their lengths to within a few integer multiples of a wavelength, the spatial and temporal properties of a single large laser are replicated, while extending the average or peak pulsed power limit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2011
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Inventors: Michael J. Messerly, Jay W. Dawson, Raymond J. Beach
  • Patent number: 8009707
    Abstract: An rf pulse compressor has a single high Q cavity resonator fed by a four port hybrid coupler which is connected to the resonator at coupling ports located at the intersection of two of the resonator's orthogonal axes with the resonator cavity walls. The hybrid coupler divides pulse power from an rf pulse power source and excites two space and phase orthogonal modes in the single cavity, the stored energy of which aids in producing compressed pulses at the output of the hybrid. On-axis perturbations in the cavity walls can be used to lock the orthogonal orientation of the modes excited in the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Inventor: Ray M. Johnson
  • Publication number: 20110206076
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided to reduce stimulated Brillouin scattering in high power optical fiber amplifiers. In an embodiment, a seed source includes a narrow linewidth semiconductor laser driven with a current ramp that simultaneously sweeps the optical power and the lasing frequency at a rate fast enough to reduce stimulated Brillouin scattering.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2010
    Publication date: August 25, 2011
    Applicant: PyroPhotonics Lasers, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Murison, Tullio Panarello, Benoit Reid, Reynald Boula-Picard
  • Patent number: 8000359
    Abstract: A laser device capable of preventing deterioration of a light signal and a controlling method therefor are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Opnext Japan, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroyasu Sasaki, Hideo Arimoto
  • Patent number: 7995627
    Abstract: An apparatus and source arrangement for filtering an electromagnetic radiation can be provided which may include at least one spectral separating arrangement configured to physically separate one or more components of the electromagnetic radiation based on a frequency of the electromagnetic radiation. The apparatus and source arrangement may also have at least one continuously rotating optical arrangement which is configured to receive at least one signal that is associated with the one or more components. Further, the apparatus and source arrangement can include at least one beam selecting arrangement configured to receive the signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation
    Inventors: Brett Eugene Bouma, Seok-Hyun (Andy) Yun, Wang-Yuhl (William) Oh, Johannes F. De Boer, Guillermo J. Tearney
  • Publication number: 20110168913
    Abstract: A device and a method enabling the enhancing of the modulation efficiency of lasers by matching the modulation frequency and the FSR of the laser. This is optionally achieved by eliminating the internal cavity of a laser diode (103) placed in an external cavity and matching the FSR of the external cavity to the modulation frequency. The modulation index is enhanced to and beyond the point of complete carrier suppression even at high modulation frequency and high beam intensities. The external cavity comprises a grating (107), the cavity length being adjusted with a PZT (108) and a translation stage (109). The laser diode (103) is driven by a bias current (110) from a driver (115) and a modulation current (111) from a modulation driver (116).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2009
    Publication date: July 14, 2011
    Applicant: BEN GURION UNIVERSITY OF THE NEGEV, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
    Inventors: Menachem Givon, Amir Waxman
  • Patent number: 7974321
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a method and an arrangement for stabilizing the average emitted radiation output of a pulsed radiation source. It is the object of the invention to find a novel possibility for stabilizing the average emitted radiation output of a pulsed radiation source which enables a reliable regulation even when there is no sufficiently reliable manipulated variable for influencing the emitted pulse energy (Ei). According to the invention, this object is met in that the individual pulse energy (Ei) of the current radiation pulse is measured, the deviation of the current individual pulse energy (Ei) from a previously determined target value (E0) is determined, and the pulse interval (?ti+1) preceding the triggering of the next radiation pulse is controlled depending on the magnitude of the deviation between the current individual pulse energy (Ei) and the target value (E0) of the pulse energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: XTREME technologies GmbH
    Inventors: Jesko Brudermann, Juergen Kleinschmidt
  • Patent number: 7972034
    Abstract: A laser light source includes: a laser array in which plural emitters are arranged; and a submount having first and second surfaces facing in opposite directions. The laser array is provided on the first surface. A distance between the first surface and the second surface of the submount varies along an array arrangement direction of the laser array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kunihiko Takagi