Abstract: A method for manufacturing submounts for laser diodes includes the steps of providing a base configured with a ceramic carrier and a metal layer deposited upon the substrate. The method further includes using a pulsed laser operative to generate a plurality of pulses which are selectively trained at predetermined pattern on the metal layer's surface so as to ablate the desired regions of the metal layer to the desired depth. Thereafter the base is divided into a plurality of submounts each supporting a laser diode. The metal layer includes a silver sub-layer deposited upon the ceramic and having a thickness sufficient to effectively facilitate heat dissipation.

Abstract: Systems and methods for laser drilling provide laser beam energy modification to reduce (e.g., eliminate or minimize) back-wall strikes during laser drilling. The systems and methods modify the process laser beam energy such that a beam energy at a central region of the process laser beam is less than a beam energy at an outer region of the process laser beam. In one example, the modified process beam has zero beam energy at the central region, thereby providing a “donut mode.” The laser beam energy modification may be achieved by detuning a fiber coupler in the Z axis such that laser energy is coupled into a cladding layer of the process fiber coupled to the laser fiber via the fiber coupler.

Abstract: The inventive laser is configured with a plurality of pigtailed multimode (MM) diode lasers each receiving a direct input current at a room temperature which is maintained to be within a 20-25° C. inside the housing of the laser. The diode lasers each are configured to operate at a desired wavelength in an optimal operational range, in which the diode laser operates with a WPE range between 63% and 75%. The direct current inputted in each diode laser is selected to be below a threshold at an efficiency curve of the diode laser after which the efficiency of the diode laser starts decreasing while an output power of the diode laser continues to increase. The laser is further configured with a fiber gain block having an active fiber medium which is pumped with the cumulative pump output and operative to emit a laser output in a power range between hundreds of watts and tens and even hundreds of kilowatts at the desired wavelength in an optimal operation range.

Abstract: A Kerr Mode Locked (“KLM”) laser is configured with a resonant cavity. The gain medium, selected from polycrystalline transition metal doped II-VI materials (“TM:II-VI), is cut at a normal angle of incidence and mounted in the resonant cavity so as to induce the KLM laser to emit a pulsed laser beam at a fundamental wavelength. The pulses of the emitted laser beam at the fundamental wavelength each vary within a 1.8-8 micron (“?m”) wavelength range, have a pulse duration equal to or longer than 30-35 femtosecond (“fs”) time range and an average output power within a mW to about 20 watts (“W”) power range. The disclosed resonant cavity is configured with a plurality of spaced apart reflectors, two of which flank and are spaced from the gain medium which is pumped to output a laser beam at a fundamental wavelength and its higher harmonic wavelengths. The gain medium is mounted on a translation mechanism operative to controllably displace the gain medium along a waist of the laser beam.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a printed circuit, comprising: darkening a surface location of a conductive material with one or more ultrafast pulses of laser radiation and ablating the conductive material at the surface location with one or more longer duration pulses of laser radiation to produce traces or micro via patterns on the surface of a PCB. A hole for a blind micro via is produced by ablating the conductive material at the darkened surface location with one or more longer duration pulses of laser radiation and cleaning a second conductive material under the substrate with one or more further longer duration pulses of laser radiation.

Abstract: A single-mode (SM) Green fiber laser is configured to operate in a Green spectral range in a continuous-wave (CW) or quasi-continuous-wave (QCW) mode. The Green laser is configured with a pump source, outputting narrow-linewidth pump light at a fundamental wavelength in one (1) micrometer spectral range, and a single-pass second harmonic generator (SHG), such as a nonlinear LBO crystal, frequency doubling the pump light to output Green light at a signal wavelength. The pump light source is configured to have a MOPFA configuration with a SM seed which emits the SM pump light with a linewidth narrower than 0.2 nm, and at least one ytterbium (“Yb”) fiber amplifier receiving and amplifying the SM pump light at the fundamental wavelength while maintaining the linewidth narrower than 0.2 nm. The SM Green fiber laser operates with a wall plug efficiency between 15% and 30% in a 510-540 nm signal wavelength range and a power range between about 50 W and kW-levels.

Abstract: Vision correction and tracking systems may be used in laser machining systems and methods to improve the accuracy of the machining. The laser machining systems and methods may be used to scribe one or more lines in large flat workpieces such as solar panels. In particular, laser machining systems and methods may be used to scribe lines in thin film photovoltaic (PV) solar panels with accuracy, high speed and reduced cost. The vision correction and/or tracking systems may be used to provide scribe line alignment and uniformity based on detected parameters of the scribe lines and/or changes in the workpiece.

Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods for producing short laser pulses that are amplified and spectrally broadened in a bulk gain media. The bulk material, having laser gain and nonlinear properties, is concurrently exposed to an optical pump input and a seed input, the pump power being sufficient to amplify and spectrally broaden the seed pulse.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system are provided to monitor and characterize the dynamics of a phase change region (PCR) created during laser welding, specifically keyhole welding, and other material modification processes, using low-coherence interferometry. By directing a measurement beam to multiple locations within and overlapping with the PCR, the system, apparatus, and method are used to determine, in real time, spatial and temporal characteristics of the weld such as keyhole depth, length, width, shape and whether the keyhole is unstable, closes or collapses. This information is important in determining the quality and material properties of a completed finished weld. It can also be used with feedback to modify the material modification process in real time.

Abstract: A high dynamic range projector (HDRP) is configured with at least one spatial light modulator having red, green and blue digital light projector (DPL) chips, a light laser source including red, green and blue (RGB) light laser systems which are operative to illuminate respective DLP chips; and a central processing unit (CPU) coupled to the DLP engines and respective RGB light laser systems, wherein the CPU is operative to determine an optimal average power of each of the RGB light laser systems at a frame rate based on a desired contrast ratio.

Abstract: Systems and methods for multiple beam additive manufacturing use multiple beams of light (e.g., laser light) simultaneously to expose layers of powder material in selected regions until the powder material fuses to form voxels, which form build layers of a three-dimensional structure. The light may be generated from selected light sources and coupled into an array of optical fibers having output ends arranged in an optical head such that the multiple beams are directed by the optical head to different locations on each of the powder layers. The multiple beams may provide distributed exposures forming a distributed exposure pattern including beam spots that are spaced sufficiently to separate the fused regions formed by each exposure. The multiple beams may be moved using various techniques (e.g., by moving the optical head) and according to various scan patterns such that a plurality of multiple beam distributed exposures form each build layer.

Abstract: A single mode fiber pulsed oscillator includes an all normal dispersion ring cavity provided with a mode-locking fiber loop component and a giant chirp generating fiber component. The mode-locking fiber loop component is configured with a hybrid of NOLM and NALM configurations which is operative to induce a first phase acquisition of a spectrally narrow pulse due to SPM. The giant chirp generating fiber loop component is configured to induce the additional phase acquisition to the pulse broadened in the mode-locking fiber component so as to generate a pulse with a giant chirp. The fiber loop components each include a fiber amplifier and a coil of fiber. The amplifiers each are configured with an active fiber provided with a core which supports multiple transverse mode in a range of wavelength except for the desired wavelength at which the core is configured to support a single fundamental mode.

Abstract: Laser processing of hard dielectric materials may include cutting a part from a hard dielectric material using a continuous wave laser operating in a quasi-continuous wave (QCW) mode to emit consecutive laser light pulses in a wavelength range of about 1060 nm to 1070 nm. Cutting using a QCW laser may be performed with a lower duty cycle (e.g., between about 1% and 15%) and in an inert gas atmosphere such as nitrogen, argon or helium. Laser processing of hard dielectric materials may further include post-cut processing the cut edges of the part cut from the dielectric material, for example, by beveling and/or polishing the edges to reduce edge defects. The post-cut processing may be performed using a laser beam with different laser parameters than the beam used for cutting, for example, by using a shorter wavelength (e.g., 193 nm excimer laser) and/or a shorter pulse width (e.g., picosecond laser).

Abstract: A cross connect apparatus or system with transparent clocking, consistent with embodiments described herein, connects a selected source or ingress port to a selected destination or egress port and clocks data out of the selected egress port using a synthesized clock that is adjusted to match a recovered clock from the selected ingress port. A transparent clocking system may generate the synthesized clock signal with adjustments in response to a parts per million (PPM) rate detected for the associated recovered clock signal provided by the selected ingress port. The cross connect system with transparent clocking may be a 400 G cross connect system with 10 G resolution. The cross connect system with transparent clocking may be used in optical transport network (OTN) applications, for example, to provide an aggregator and/or an add-drop multiplexer (ADM) or to provide a reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer (ROADM) upgrade to a higher data rate.

Abstract: Laser lift off systems and methods may be used to provide monolithic laser lift off with minimal cracking by reducing the size of one or more beam spots in one or more dimensions to reduce plume pressure while maintaining sufficient energy to provide separation. By irradiating irradiation zones with various shapes and in various patterns, the laser lift off systems and methods use laser energy more efficiently, reduce cracking when separating layers, and improve productivity. Some laser lift off systems and methods described herein separate layers of material by irradiating non-contiguous irradiation zones with laser lift off zones (LOZs) that extend beyond the irradiation zones. Other laser lift off systems and methods described herein separate layers of material by shaping the irradiation zones and by controlling the overlap of the irradiation zones in a way that avoids uneven exposure of the workpiece.

Abstract: A hand displaceable laser welding gun is configured with an elongated support column extending along a longitudinal axis and made from lightweight material. A support plate is displaceably mounted to the column while supporting thereon an optical head axially which is provided with optics. The optics is configured to direct a laser beam along a path towards a welding zone through a protective window of the optical head. The laser welding gun further is structured with a first arm mounted to the support plate and extending along a longitudinal axis of the gun diametrically opposite to the optical head. The inner surface of the displaceable arm has an inner surface defining a tunnel which is aligned with the optical head and axially traversed by the laser beam, a first axially flowing stream of pressurized gaseous medium, and a second axially flowing stream of gaseous medium.

Abstract: Laser processing of sapphire is performed using a continuous wave laser operating in a quasi-continuous wave (QCW) mode to emit consecutive laser light pulses in a wavelength range of about 1060 nm to 1070 nm (hereinafter “QCW laser”). Laser processing of sapphire using a QCW laser may be performed with a lower duty cycle (e.g., between about 1% and 10%) and in an inert gas atmosphere such as argon or helium. Laser processing of sapphire using a QCW laser may further include the use of an assist laser having a shorter wavelength and/or pulse duration to modify a property of the sapphire substrate to form absorption centers, which facilitate coupling of the laser light pulses of the QCW laser into the sapphire.

Abstract: A laser system includes a seed source optically coupled to an extra cavity harmonic generator system may produce a round, non-astigmatic third harmonic output beam from a nominally round, non-astigmatic, diffraction limited input fundamental beam from the seed source. The system may include a second harmonic generation crystal. An input fundamental beam size is expanded in a non-walkoff direction for the SHG crystal at the SHG crystal input face. A higher harmonic generation crystal has an output face oriented at an oblique angle of incidence in a non-walkoff direction for the HHG crystal such that an output higher harmonic beam size is contracted in this direction. Expansion of the input fundamental beam at the SHG crystal input face exceeds reduction of third harmonic beam at the HHG crystal output face.

Abstract: The disclosed method and apparatus for stabilizing a mode-locked regime of a fiber ring oscillator based on a NPR include tapping a portion of light, which has a broad spectral bandwidth, from a fiber ring resonator into at least first and second control channels. The control channels are configured to guide respective first and second fractions of the tapped portion. One of the control channels is provided with a bandpass filter operative to extract a region from the broad spectral bandwidth. The fractions with respective full spectral bandwidth and region thereof are then evaluated in a central processing unit which is operable to generate a control signal if a predetermined criterion is not met. The control signal is received by one or more polarization controller units operative to dynamically modulate a state of polarization of light in the fiber ring resonator until the evaluation meets the predetermined criterion.

Abstract: Systems and methods for spectrally broadening seed pulses with a single pass laser amplifier are disclosed. A bulk TM:II-VI polycrystalline material with combined gain and nonlinear characteristic provides passive (cold) spectral broadening of high power seed pulses. Continuous pumping provides more significant spectral broadening. In particular, pulsed pumping of TM:II-VI polycrystalline material (e.g. Cr2+:ZnS, Cr2+:ZnSe, and Cr2+:CdSe) is shown to provide significant spectral broadening to the super continuum generation SCG level. Pulse picking, pump sources, master oscillators and various optical components are described.