With Graded Index Core Or Cladding Patents (Class 385/124)
  • Patent number: 10816720
    Abstract: A specialized, dispersion-controlled fiber is particularly configured to exhibit a relatively uniform dispersion (D) over a broad spectral range (for example, 1000 nm to 2000 nm). The specialized fiber exhibits an essentially constant attenuation (?) over this same spectral range so that the fiber is defined as having a high “figure of merit” (FoM) where FoM is defined as |D|/?. The specialized fiber is well-suited for use as a pulse stretcher, providing the ability to separate out wavelength constituents of an extremely short (fs, ps) broadband pulse into the ns range, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: OFS FITEL, LLC
    Inventors: Poul Kristensen, Philip G Westergaard
  • Patent number: 10768373
    Abstract: In various embodiments, the beam parameter product and/or numerical aperture of a laser beam is adjusted utilizing a step-clad optical fiber having a central core, a first cladding, an annular core, and a second cladding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: TERADIODE, INC.
    Inventors: Wang-Long Zhou, Francisco Villarreal-Saucedo, Parviz Tayebati, Bien Chann
  • Patent number: 10739621
    Abstract: A method of materials processing using an optical beam includes: launching the optical beam into a first length of fiber having a first refractive-index profile (RIP); coupling the optical beam from the first length of fiber into a second length of fiber having a second RIP; modifying one or more beam characteristics of the optical beam in the first length of fiber, in the second length of fiber, or in the first and second lengths of fiber; and/or generating an output beam, having the modified one or more beam characteristics of the optical beam, from the second length of fiber. The first RIP can be the same as or differ from the second RIP. The modifying of the one or more beam characteristics can include changing the one or more beam characteristics from a first state to a second state. The first state can differ from the second state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: nLIGHT, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Victor, Christopher A. Rivera, Dahv A.V. Kliner, Roger Farrow
  • Patent number: 10730785
    Abstract: Fiber bending mechanisms vary beam characteristics by deflecting or bending one or more fibers, by urging portions of one or more fibers toward a fiber shaping surface having a selectable curvature, or by selecting a fiber length that is to be urged toward the fiber shaping surface. In some examples, a fiber is secured to a flexible plate to conform to a variable curvature of the flexible plate. In other examples, a variable length of a fiber is pulled or pushed toward a fiber shaping surface, and the length of the fiber or a curvature of the flexible plate provide modification of fiber beam characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: nLIGHT, Inc.
    Inventors: Aaron Brown, Aaron Ludwig Hodges, Dahv A. V. Kliner
  • Patent number: 10732439
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods, apparatus, and systems for providing an optical beam delivery system, comprising an optical fiber including a first length of fiber comprising a first RIP formed to enable, at least in part, modification of one or more beam characteristics of an optical beam by a perturbation assembly arranged to modify the one or more beam characteristics, the perturbation assembly coupled to the first length of fiber or integral with the first length of fiber, or a combination thereof and a second length of fiber coupled to the first length of fiber and having a second RIP formed to preserve at least a portion of the one or more beam characteristics of the optical beam modified by the perturbation assembly within one or more first confinement regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: nLIGHT, Inc.
    Inventors: Dahv A. V. Kliner, Roger L. Farrow
  • Patent number: 10718716
    Abstract: An embodiment of a laser induced breakdown system is described that comprises a portable device that includes: a laser configured to produce a beam comprising a plurality of repeating pulses; a processor configured to open a data acquisition window after a delay period, wherein the delay period begins upon production of one of the pulses; one or more optical elements configured to direct the beam at a sample and collect emitted light from a plasma continuum; and an optical detector configured to produce a plurality of signal values from the emitted light from the plasma continuum collected during the data acquisition window, wherein the processor is configured to identify an element from the signal values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: THERMO SCIENTIFIC PORTABLE ANALYTICAL INSTRUMENTS INC.
    Inventors: Peidong Wang, Rong Sun, Brendan Falvey, Haowen Li, Yu Shen, Michael E. Dugas
  • Patent number: 10698153
    Abstract: When a grating is inscribed in a section of optical fiber through a coating of the optical fiber, using a light modulation mask to modulate the light beam that writes the grating, a fluid can be situated between the section of optical fiber and the back side of a mask component carrying the light modulation mask (e.g., on its front side) to reduce the refractive-index discontinuity encountered at the surface of the coating. In various embodiments, rather than running the fiber through a vessel containing the fluid, the fluid is run across the back side of the mask component or retained by capillary action between the fiber section and the mask component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Brooks Childers, Megan Patoskie
  • Patent number: 10684487
    Abstract: An optical beam delivery system, includes: an optical beam source; a fiber assembly situated to receive and modify one or more beam characteristics of an optical beam; and a nonlinear frequency-conversion stage in optical communication with the fiber assembly and situated to receive and frequency-convert an optical beam from a first wavelength to one or more second wavelengths. The fiber assembly includes: a first length of fiber comprising a first RIP formed to enable modification of the one or more beam characteristics of the optical beam by a perturbation device, and a second length of fiber having a second RIP coupled to the first length of fiber, the second RIP formed to confine at least a portion of modified beam characteristics of the optical beam within one or more confinement regions. The first RIP and the second RIP are different.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: nLIGHT, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Victor, Jacob L. Bell, Dahv A. V. Kliner, Roger Farrow
  • Patent number: 10676387
    Abstract: A method of producing an optical fiber preform includes: an alkali-metal-doped silica glass body forming step of forming an alkali-metal-doped silica glass body doped with an alkali metal; a silica glass body forming step of forming a silica glass body to be at least a portion of a core portion around the alkali-metal-doped silica glass body such that the silica glass body contacts the alkali-metal-doped silica glass body; and a diffusing step of diffusing the alkali metal from the alkali-metal-doped silica glass body to the silica glass body by a heat treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: FURUKAWA ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Keiichi Aiso, Tomohiro Gonda
  • Patent number: 10673197
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and systems for modulation of a laser beam. An optical modulator may comprise an optical input to receive an optical beam, and one or more lengths of fiber between the optical input and an optical output. At least one of the lengths of fiber comprises a confinement region that is optically coupled to the output. The optical modulator may further comprise a perturbation device to modulate, through action upon the one or more lengths of fiber, a transmittance of the beam through the confinement region from a first transmittance level at a first time instance to a second transmittance level at a second time instance. The optical modulator may further comprise a controller input coupled to the perturbation device, wherein the perturbation device is to act upon the one or more lengths of fiber in response to a control signal received through the controller input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: NLIGHT, INC.
    Inventors: Dahv A. V. Kliner, Roger Farrow
  • Patent number: 10673199
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and systems for active saturable absorbance of an optical beam. An active saturable absorber may comprise an optical input to receive an optical beam, and one or more lengths of fiber between the optical input and an optical output. At least one of the lengths of fiber comprises a confinement region that is optically coupled to the output. The active saturable absorber may further comprise an optical detector to sense a characteristic of the optical beam, such as power. The active saturable absorber may further comprise a perturbation device to modulate, through action upon the one or more lengths of fiber, a transmittance of the beam through a fiber confinement region from a lower transmittance level to a higher transmittance level based on an indication of the characteristic sensed while the transmittance level is low.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: NLIGHT, INC.
    Inventor: Dahv A. V. Kliner
  • Patent number: 10673198
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and systems comprising a fiber-coupled laser and time-varying beam characteristics. A laser may generate an optical beam that is launched into one or more lengths of fiber, at least one of which comprises a confinement region that is optically coupled to an output. A perturbation device may modulate, through action upon the one or more lengths of fiber, a beam characteristic over a time period during which the laser is energized. A controller may cause the perturbation device to act upon the one or more lengths of fiber to impart a time-averaged beam characteristic and/or to induce a continuous variation in one or more beam characteristics during system use. A process monitor may sense a metric external to the optical system, and a feedback signal from the process monitor may be coupled into the controller. Dynamic beam characteristics may be modulated based on the feedback signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: NLIGHT, INC.
    Inventors: Dahv A. V. Kliner, Brian Victor, Lynn Sheehan, Aaron Brown
  • Patent number: 10668567
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods, apparatus, and systems for a multi-operation optical beam delivery device having a laser source to generate the optical beam. A beam characteristic conditioner that, in response to a control input indicating a change between the different laser process operations, controllably modifies the beam characteristics for a corresponding laser process operation of the different laser process operations. A delivery fiber has an input end coupled to the beam characteristic conditioner and an output end coupled to a process head for performing the corresponding laser process operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: nLIGHT, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian M. Victor, Ken Gross, Aaron W. Brown, Dahv A. V. Kliner
  • Patent number: 10668537
    Abstract: An apparatus for temperature control in additive manufacturing may include: an optical beam source configured to generate one or more optical beams; a homogenizer configured to flatten an irradiance profile of the generated one or more optical beams; and/or an optical system configured to form the generated one or more optical beams so as to match a portion of a shape of a powder bed. The apparatus may include optical beam sources configured to generate two or more optical beams; and/or an optical system configured to form the generated two or more optical beams to match the portion of the shape of the powder bed. The apparatus, using the formed one or more optical beams with the flattened irradiance profile or using the formed two or more optical beams, may be configured to pre-heat the powder bed prior to fusing and/or to post-heat the fused powder bed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: NLIGHT, INC.
    Inventors: Scott Karlsen, Dahv A. V. Kliner, Roger Farrow
  • Patent number: 10668535
    Abstract: A method of making a three-dimensional object. The method comprises: a) positioning a layer of particles over a build plate; b) exposing the layer of particles to a first laser beam having a first set of beam characteristics, thereby heating the layer sufficiently to fuse at least a portion of the particles together to form a build layer; c) exposing a first region of one of i) the layer of particles or ii) the build layer to a second laser beam having a second set of beam characteristics to provide a first temperature profile for the first region; and d) exposing a second region of one of i) the layer of particles or ii) the build layer to a third laser beam having a third set of beam characteristics to provide a second temperature profile for the second region, the second temperature profile being different than the first temperature profile, wherein both the first region and the second region are in the layer of particles or both the first region and the second region are in the build layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: NLIGHT, INC.
    Inventors: Aaron Brown, Keith Kennedy, David Dawson, Robert Martinsen, Roger Farrow, Dahv A. V. Kliner
  • Patent number: 10670872
    Abstract: An all-fiber optical beam switch mechanism includes a first length of fiber through which an incident optical beam having beam characteristics propagates along a first propagation path and which has a first refractive index profile (RIP). The first RIP enables, in response to an applied perturbation, modification of the optical beam to form an adjusted optical beam that is movable to propagate along a second propagation path. A second length of fiber is coupled to the first length of fiber and formed with multiple spaced-apart, non-coaxial confinement cores. A selected state of applied perturbation moves the second propagation path of the adjusted optical beam to a position of a selected corresponding one of the multiple confinement cores to confine and thereby direct the adjusted optical beam to a corresponding beam output location at the output of the second length of fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: nLIGHT, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott R. Karlsen, Brian M. Victor, Roger L. Farrow
  • Patent number: 10661391
    Abstract: A method of making a porous three-dimensional object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: NLIGHT, INC.
    Inventors: Aaron Brown, Brian Victor, Robert Martinsen, Dahv A. V. Kliner, Roger Farrow
  • Patent number: 10661342
    Abstract: Additive manufacturing systems and methods for fabricating an article are provided. The additive manufacturing system may include a substrate and a layering device configured to fabricate a first layer of the article on the substrate. The layering device may include an optical beam source configured to generate an optical beam and a variable beam characteristics (VBC) fiber operably coupled with the optical beam source and configured to modify one or more beam characteristics, such as a wavelength, of the optical beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: nLIGHT, Inc.
    Inventors: Joona Koponen, Dahv A. V. Kliner, Roger Farrow
  • Patent number: 10663742
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods, apparatus, and systems for perturbing a laser beam propagating within a first length of fiber to adjust one or more beam characteristics of the laser beam in the first length of fiber or a second length of fiber or a combination thereof, coupling the perturbed laser beam into a second length of fiber and maintaining at least a portion of one or more adjusted beam characteristics within a second length of fiber having.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: NLIGHT, INC.
    Inventors: Ken Gross, Scott Karlsen, Dahv A. V. Kliner, Roger Farrow
  • Patent number: 10656330
    Abstract: A method for forming an article includes providing a material having a first material property; forming a melt pool by exposing the material to an optical beam having at least one beam characteristic, wherein the melt pool has at least one melt pool property determinative of a second material property of the material; and modifying the at least one beam characteristic in response to a change in the melt pool property.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: NLIGHT, INC.
    Inventors: Brian Victor, Robert Martinsen, Lynn Sheehan, Dahv A. V. Kliner, Roger Farrow
  • Patent number: 10656440
    Abstract: An optical beam delivery device formed of optical fibers that are configured to produce an output exhibiting an intensity distribution profile having non-zero ellipticity includes a first length of fiber through which an incident optical beam having beam characteristics propagates and which has a first refractive index profile (RIP). The first RIP enables, in response to an applied perturbation, modification of the beam characteristics of the optical beam to form an adjusted beam having modified beam characteristics relative to the beam characteristics of the optical beam. A second length of fiber is coupled to the first length of fiber and formed with a set of one or more confinement regions that define a second RIP and confine at least a portion of the adjusted beam to generate, at an output of the second length of fiber, an intensity distribution profile having non-zero ellipticity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: nLIGHT, Inc.
    Inventors: Dahv A. V. Kliner, Roger L. Farrow
  • Patent number: 10656427
    Abstract: An optical beam delivery device establishes, from an optical beam, an optical trap that is moveable to different optical trap locations. The device has a first length of fiber through which the optical beam propagates along a propagation path and which has a first refractive index profile (RIP) enabling modification of the propagation path to form an adjusted optical beam movable to propagate along different propagation paths in response to different states of applied perturbation. The device also has a second length of fiber coupled to the first length of fiber and having confinement cores defining a second RIP. The confinement cores occupy different positions in, and correspond to the different optical trap locations at an output of, the second length of fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: nLIGHT, Inc.
    Inventors: Chris A. Rivera, Roger L. Farrow
  • Patent number: 10656329
    Abstract: The optical fiber offered is capable of not only restraining the attenuation due to glass defects, but also reducing the increase of manufacturing cost. The optical fiber is made of silica glass and includes a core and a cladding. The cladding encloses the core and has a refractive index smaller than that of the core. When the core is divided into inner core and outer core at half of the radius of the core, the average chlorine concentration of the inner core is larger than that of the outer core. The core includes any of the alkali metal group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Hirotaka Sakuma, Yoshiaki Tamura, Keisei Morita, Yuki Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 10646963
    Abstract: A method for forming an article includes: forming a melt pool; exposing the melt pool to an optical beam having at least one beam characteristic; forming a keyhole cavity in the melt pool, the keyhole cavity having at least one keyhole cavity property; and modifying the at least one beam characteristic in response to a change in the keyhole cavity property.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: NLIGHT, INC.
    Inventors: Brian Victor, Robert Martinsen, Lynn Sheehan, Roger Farrow, Dahv A. V. Kliner
  • Patent number: 10649241
    Abstract: A method of tailoring beam characteristics of a laser beam during fabrication of an electronic device. The method includes: providing a substrate comprising one or more layers; adjusting one or more characteristics of a laser beam; and impinging the laser beam having the adjusted beam characteristics on the substrate to carry out at least one process step for fabricating the electronic device. The adjusting of the laser beam comprises: perturbing the laser beam propagating within a first length of fiber to adjust the one or more beam characteristics of the laser beam in the first length of fiber or a second length of fiber or a combination thereof, the second length of fiber having two or more confinement regions; coupling the perturbed laser beam into the second length of fiber; and emitting the laser beam having the adjusted beam characteristics from the second length of fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: NLIGHT, INC.
    Inventors: David Martin Hemenway, Ken Gross, Dahv A. V. Kliner, Roger Farrow
  • Patent number: 10604440
    Abstract: A method for a defined deposition of a glass layer on an inner wall of a preform for an optical fiber and/or for setting a refractive index profile of the preform for a multi-mode fiber. The method includes providing the preform having a cavity and an inner wall which defines an inner diameter of the preform, and spreading a deposition gas at a flow speed (v) in the cavity of the preform so as to provide the defined deposition of the glass layer. The defined deposition is performed at a reduced change in the flow speed a*?v, where a<1. Based on the defined deposition, a change in the flow speed (?v): ? ? ? v = 4 ? ? Q ? · ( 1 d i 2 - 1 d i + 1 2 ) forms at a volume flow (Q), a first diameter (di), and a second diameter (di+1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: J-FIBER GMBH
    Inventors: Robert Hanf, Christian Genz, Lothar Brehm
  • Patent number: 10605982
    Abstract: The present embodiment relates to an MCF and the like suitable for fabricating an FBG with improved ripple characteristics. The MCF is mainly composed of silica glass, and comprises a plurality of light guiding structures and a common cladding. Each of the light guiding structures includes a core, a first cladding, and a second cladding. The refractive index of the second cladding is higher than that of the first cladding and is lower than those of the core and the common cladding. Further, at least a part of an inner cladding region, constituted by the first cladding and the second cladding, contains a photosensitive material having photosensitivity of changing a refractive index of a glass region containing the photosensitive material in response to irradiation of light with a specific wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Shigehiro Nagano
  • Patent number: 10591668
    Abstract: An optical fiber includes (i) a chlorine doped silica based core having a core alpha (Core?)?4, a radius r1, and a maximum refractive index delta ?1 max% and (ii) a cladding surrounding the core. The cladding surrounding the core includes a) a first inner cladding region adjacent to and in contact with the core and having a refractive index delta ?2, a radius r2, and a minimum refractive index delta ?2 min such that ?2 min<?1 max, b) a second inner cladding adjacent to and in contact with the first inner cladding having a refractive index ?3, a radius r3, and a minimum refractive index delta ?3 min such that ?3 min<?2, and c) an outer cladding region surrounding the second inner cladding region and having a refractive index ?5, a radius rmax, and a minimum refractive index delta ?3 min such that ?3 min<?2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Dana Craig Bookbinder, Ming-Jun Li, Snigdharaj Kumar Mishra, Pushkar Tandon
  • Patent number: 10584999
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to a high power supercontinuum (SC) fiber optical source. The SC fiber optical source includes a prebroadening optical fiber that broadens the spectrum of a lower power intermediate optical signal before final amplification. The spectrum broadening creates spectral components which facilitate further spectrum broadening of amplified signal in final nonlinear stage, allowing to achive flatter and wider spectrum, and reduces nonlinear Stimulated Brillouin Scattering (SBS) that could damage SC fiber optical source components or limit the output power of the SC fiber optical source signal, thus enabling higher output power. After amplification in booster, passing at least part of broadened spectrum, the optical signal spectrum is further broadened by injecting the optical signal into a nonlinear stage to create a SC optical signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: SA Photonics, Inc.
    Inventors: Vladimir Protopopov, Greg G. Mitchell, James F. Coward
  • Patent number: 10587848
    Abstract: A display subsystem for a virtual image generation system for use by an end user comprises a display, an optical fiber having a polarization-maintaining (PM) transmission fiber section and a non-PM scanning fiber section, a light source configured for injecting a linearly polarized light beam into the transmission fiber section, such that the linearly polarized light beam is emitted from the scanning fiber section, a mechanical scanning drive assembly in which the scanning fiber section is affixed, wherein the mechanical scanning drive assembly is configured for displacing the scanning optical fiber section is order to scan the emitted light beam, and a display configured for receiving the scanned light beam and generating an image to the end user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: Magic Leap, Inc.
    Inventors: Ivan Yeoh, Lionel Ernest Edwin, David Tinch
  • Patent number: 10459158
    Abstract: The refractive index of a fiber core of a few mode optical fiber is n1. A cladding layer surrounding the fiber core includes: a downward-concave cladding layer surrounding the fiber core, the refractive index thereof is n2; a first upward-convex cladding layer surrounding the downward-concave cladding layer, the refractive index thereof is n3; a second upward-convex cladding layer surrounding the first upward-convex cladding layer, the refractive index thereof is n4; an outer layer surrounding the second upward-convex cladding layer, the refractive index thereof is n5. The refractive indexes of the fiber core, the downward-concave cladding layer, the first upward-convex cladding layer, the second upward-convex cladding layer, the outer layer satisfy: n1>n3>n4>n5>n2. The fiber is a non-single mode in a direct waveguide state, and equivalent single-mode transmission can be achieved when the optical fiber is bent at a specific bending radius.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignees: STATE GRID JIANGXI ELECTRIC POWER COMPANY INFORMATION & TELECOMMUNICATION BRANCH, STATE GRID CORPORATION OF CHINA, JIANGSU UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Hua Wang, Mingyang Chen, Ping Yin, Luming Li, Jin Wei, Jihai Yang, Zhimin Cai, Yuanfeng Zhu, Hui Tian
  • Patent number: 10451797
    Abstract: Provided is a few-mode optical fiber. The optical fiber includes: a core and a cladding enclosing the core. The cladding includes: a first inner cladding surrounding the core; a first high-refractive-index mode filter layer surrounding the first inner cladding; a second inner cladding surrounding the first high-refractive-index mode filter layer; a second high-refractive-index mode filter layer surrounding the second inner cladding; and an outer cladding surrounding the second high-refractive-index mode filter layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignees: STATE GRID JIANGXI ELECTRIC POWER COMPANY INFORMATION & TELECOMMUNICATION BRANCH, STATE GRID CORPORATION OF CHINA, JANGSU UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Hua Wang, Mingyang Chen, Xiaosheng Wu, Renhua Li, Zhimin Cai, Guodong Cao, Shenyi Li, Luming Li, Jihai Yang, Pingping Fu, Meilan Zheng, Hui Xiao, Hongliang Chu, Jun Li, Fang Yin
  • Patent number: 10451795
    Abstract: A optical fiber having core and cladding regions, a primary coating, and a secondary coating may be defined in part by a curve relating the microbend sensitivity to a ratio of the elastic modulus of the secondary coating to the elastic modulus of the primary coating (as plotted on respective y and x axes). The curve has a substantially peaked shape defined by a positive-slope region and a negative-slope region. The ratio of the elastic modulus of the secondary coating to the elastic modulus of the primary coating is within the positive-slope region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: OFS FITEL, LLC
    Inventors: Kariofilis Konstadinidis, David W Peckham, Debra A Simoff
  • Patent number: 10429579
    Abstract: An optical fiber having a core comprising silica and greater than 1.5 wt % chlorine and less than 0.5 wt % F, said core having a refractive index ?1MAX, and a inner cladding region having refractive index ?2MIN surrounding the core, where ?1MAX>?2MIN.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: George Edward Berkey, Dana Craig Bookbinder, Ming-Jun Li, Pushkar Tandon
  • Patent number: 10423015
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods, apparatus, and systems for perturbing an optical beam propagating within a first length of fiber to adjust one or more beam characteristics of the optical beam in the first length of fiber or a second length of fiber or a combination thereof, coupling the perturbed optical beam into a second length of fiber and maintaining at least a portion of one or more adjusted beam characteristics within a second length of fiber having.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: nLIGHT, Inc.
    Inventors: Dahv A. V. Kliner, Roger Farrow
  • Patent number: 10388310
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an input coupler configured to receive light excited by a light source. A near-field transducer (NFT) is positioned at a media-facing surface of a write head. A layered waveguide is positioned between the input coupler and the NFT and configured to receive the light output from the input coupler in a transverse electric (TE) mode and deliver the light to the NFT in a transverse magnetic (TM) mode. The layered waveguide comprises a first layer extending along a light-propagation direction. The first layer is configured to receive light from the input coupler. The first layer tapers from a first cross track width to a second cross track width where the second cross track width is narrower than the first cross track width. The layered waveguide includes a second layer that is disposed on the first layer. The second layer has a cross sectional area in a plane perpendicular to the light propagation direction that increases along the light propagation direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Neil Harvey, Aidan Dominic Goggin, Kelly Elizabeth Callan, John Bernard McGurk, Reyad Mehfuz
  • Patent number: 10324253
    Abstract: Few mode optical fibers for mode division multiplexing. The Few Mode Fiber supporting 25 or 30 LP guided modes and includes a graded index core with a ?-profile, a radius R1 (at 0 refractive index difference) between 21.5 and 27 ?m and a maximum refractive index difference Dn1 between 12.5×10?3 and 20×10?3, and an end of the ?-profile at a radius R1b, with index difference Dn1b; a trench surrounding the core with radius R3 between 30 and 42 ?m and refractive index difference Dn3 between ?15.10?3 and ?6.10?3, an intermediate depressed trench with a radius R2, with R1b<R2<R3 and a refractive index difference Dn2, with Dn3<Dn2<0, wherein: for |Dn1b?Dn2|>=0.5×10?3, Min(Dn1b, Dn2)??1.5×10?3, and for |Dn1b?Dn2|<0.5×10?3, Dn2 is between ?5×10?3 and ?3.5×10?3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: Draka Comteq BV
    Inventors: Pierre Sillard, Denis Molin, Marianne Bigot
  • Patent number: 10294146
    Abstract: The single-mode optical fibers have a core region that includes an inner core region having a delta value ?1 and a radius r1 immediately surrounded by an outer core region of radius r2 and a delta value ?2<?1, wherein ?1-?2 is in the range from 0.3% to 2%. A cladding region of radius r3 immediately surrounds the core region. The inner and outer regions define an annular width ?r=r2?r1. At least one of r1, r2, ?r and r3 changes with a period p in the longitudinal direction between first and second values each having a corresponding level distance dF. The change occurs over a transition distance dT such that dT/dF<0.1. The Brillouin frequency shift ?f changes by an amount ?[?f] that is least 10 MHz over each period p, thereby allowing for Brillouin frequency-shift management in fiber-based sensor systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Ming-Jun Li, Shenping Li, Jeffery Scott Stone
  • Patent number: 10295736
    Abstract: A multicore fiber includes a plurality of cores including a first core and a cladding surrounding the plurality of cores. The first core includes: an inner core; and an outer core surrounding the inner core with no gap and having a refractive index higher than a refractive index of the inner core and a refractive index of the cladding. The core is not doped with any rare earth element. At least two LP mode light beams at a predetermined wavelength propagate through the first core at an attenuation of 0.3 dB/km or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: FUJIKURA LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshimichi Amma, Katsuhiro Takenaga, Shota Saito
  • Patent number: 10294144
    Abstract: There is provided an optical glass having high infrared transmittance and being useful as an on-vehicle infrared sensor and the like. An optical glass including, in expression of atomic %: Ge+Ga; 6% to 30%; S+Se+Te; 50% to 85%; and Ti; 0.001% to 0.5%, wherein a wavelength (?T10%) at a long-wavelength side end in which infrared transmittance in a glass plate of the optical glass converted to a thickness of 1 mm becomes 10% is 12 ?m or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: AGC Inc.
    Inventors: Tatsuo Nagashima, Hiroyasu Miyazawa, Kenji Kitaoka
  • Patent number: 10295735
    Abstract: Few mode optical fibers for mode division multiplexing. The Few Mode Fiber supporting 25 or 30 LP guided modes and includes a graded index core with a ?-profile, a radius R1 (at 0 refractive index difference) between 23 and 27 ?m and a maximum refractive index difference Dn1 between 14·10?3 and 17·10?3, and an end of the ?-profile at a radius R1b, with index difference Dn1b; a trench surrounding the core with radius R3 between 30 and 40 ?m and refractive index difference Dn3 between ?15·10?3 and ?6·10?3. Such a FMF shows a specific design of the interface between the core and the cladding such that R1b>R1, Dn1b between ?10·10?3 and ?3·10?3, and Dn1b?Dn3?0.9×10?3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: Draka Comteq BV
    Inventors: Pierre Sillard, Denis Molin, Marianne Bigot
  • Patent number: 10215913
    Abstract: A multicore fiber includes: a first core configured to propagate an LP01 mode, an LP11 mode, and an LP21 mode light beam; and a second core configured to propagate an LP01 mode light beam, wherein a different mode interaction section is provided in which a propagation constant of the LP21 mode light beam propagated through the first core is matched with a propagation constant of the LP01 mode light beam propagated through the second core, a different mode non-interaction section is provided in which propagation constants of the LP mode light beams propagated through the first core are not matched with propagation constants of the LP mode light beams propagated through the second core, and the first core includes an inner core and an outer core surrounding the inner core with no gap and having a refractive index higher than a refractive index of the inner core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignees: FUJIKURA LTD., NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION HOKKAIDO UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Yusuke Sasaki, Hitoshi Uemura, Kunimasa Saitoh, Takeshi Fujisawa
  • Patent number: 10197725
    Abstract: A multimode optical fiber for continuous transmission of electromagnetic radiation at high power, wherein the fiber defines a fiber axis and includes a core and a cladding surrounding the core, and wherein the multimode optical fiber is a multimode graded-index fiber, the refraction index profile in the fiber essentially following formula (1): n ? ( r ) = { n 1 ? [ 1 - 2 ? ( r a ) g ? ? ] 1 ? / ? 2 , r < a n 2 , r > a ( 1 ) ? = n 1 2 - n 2 2 2 ? n 1 2 ( A ) NA = n 1 2 - n 2 2 ( B ) where ? is formula (A), r is the distance from the fiber axis, n(r) is the nominal refractive index as a function of distance from the fiber axis, n1 is the nominal refractive index on the axis of the fiber, n2 is the refractive index of the cladding, a is the core radius, and g is a parameter that defines the shape of the profile, where the core diameter 2a is between 90 UM and 190 ?M, the parameter g is between 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: PRYSMIAN S.p.A
    Inventors: João Carlos Vieira Da Silva, Evandro Lee Anderson Spìnola De Souza, Valeria Garcia, João Batista Rosolem, Claudio Floridia, Marcos Antonio Brandão Sanches
  • Patent number: 10177521
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an optical fiber configured to transport an optical signal. The optical fiber includes a core configured to receive and amplify the optical signal. The optical fiber also includes end features optically coupled to opposite ends of the core. The core has a lower bend loss than the end features. The optical fiber further includes a cladding surrounding the core and the end features. The optical fiber is configured to confine optical power of a fundamental mode in the core. The optical fiber is also configured to allow optical power of one or more higher-order modes to leak from the core into the end features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Vladimir V. Shkunov, David A. Rockwell
  • Patent number: 10162109
    Abstract: According to embodiments, an optical fiber may include a core portion comprising a radius rC, a centerline CL, a numerical aperture NA greater than or equal to 0.15 and less than or equal to 0.25, a graded relative refractive index profile having a maximum relative refractive index ?Cmax and an ? value greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to 3. The core portion may include an up-dopant with a graded concentration from the radius rC to the centerline CL and an attenuation dopant with a constant concentration from the centerline CL of the core portion to the radius rC of the core portion. The optical fiber is multi-moded for wavelengths of light within a range from 800 nm to 1350 nm and an attenuation of the optical fiber wavelengths between 800 nm and 1000 nm is greater than or equal to 0.5 dB/m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Kevin Wallace Bennett, Scott Robertson Bickham, Dana Craig Bookbinder, Robert Arnold Knowlton, Ming-Jun Li, Pushkar Tandon
  • Patent number: 10150695
    Abstract: A co-doped optical fiber is provided having an attenuation of less than about 0.17 dB/km at a wavelength of 1550 nm. The fiber includes a core region in the fiber having a graded refractive index profile with an alpha of greater than 5. The fiber also includes a first cladding region in the fiber that surrounds the core region. Further, the core region has a relative refractive index of about ?0.10% to about +0.05% compared to pure silica. In addition, the core region includes silica that is co-doped with chlorine at about 1.2% or greater by weight and fluorine between about 0.1% and about 1% by weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Dana Craig Bookbinder, Ming-Jun Li, Pushkar Tandon
  • Patent number: 10126495
    Abstract: A multi-purpose optical fiber with coating is provided. The optical fiber can function as a transmission fiber or as a coupling fiber for optical data links that features low coupling loss to silicon photonics lasers, VCSELs, single mode transmission fibers, multimode transmission fibers, and high speed receivers. The fiber includes a core, an optional inner cladding region, a depressed index cladding region, an outer cladding region, and a coating. The relative refractive index profile of the coupling fiber includes a small-radius core region with ? profile and a depressed index cladding region that facilitates low bending loss and high bandwidth. The coating thickness and overall diameter of the fiber is small.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Scott Robertson Bickham, Ching-Kee Chien, Ruchi Tandon
  • Patent number: 10107957
    Abstract: According to some embodiments, a multimode optical fiber comprises a graded index glass core with refractive index ?1, a maximum refractive index delta ?1MAX, and a core radius between 10 and 40 microns; and cladding region surrounding the core comprising refractive index ?4, wherein the fiber exhibits an overfilled bandwidth exhibits an overfilled bandwidth of at least 3 GHz-km at a wavelength of 850 nm and an overfilled bandwidth of at least 1.2 GHz-km at one or more wavelengths between 980 and 1060 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Scott Robertson Bickham, Xin Chen, Ming-Jun Li
  • Patent number: 10094975
    Abstract: An optical fiber comprising: (i) a chlorine doped silica based core comprising a core alpha (?)>10, and maximum refractive index delta ?1max % and Cl concentration >1 wt %; (ii) a cladding surrounding the core, the cladding comprising: (a) an inner cladding region adjacent to and in contact with the core and having a refractive index delta ?2 and a minimum refractive index delta ?2min such that ?2min<?1max, the inner cladding region comprising fluorine doped silica and the refractive index delta ?2 with region that decreases with radial position, and (b) an outer cladding region surrounding the inner cladding region and having refractive index delta ?3, such that ?2min<?3. The fiber has mode field diameter MFD at 1310 nm of ?9 microns, a cable cutoff of ?1260 nm, zero dispersion wavelength of 1300 nm?zero dispersion wavelength ?1324 nm and bend loss at 1550 nm for a 20 mm mandrel of less than 0.5 dB/turn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Dana Craig Bookbinder, Ming-Jun Li, Snigdharaj Kumar Mishra, Pushkar Tandon
  • Patent number: 10085614
    Abstract: A transmitting device includes: a first transmission unit; a second transmission unit having transmission lines each having a proximal end at which a transmitting-side connecting portion is provided; and a first switch for selecting a transmission line from the second transmission unit, to connect the selected transmission line to the first transmission unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hideaki Kinouchi