Patents Assigned to Menlo Systems GmbH
  • Patent number: 11456571
    Abstract: Operating an optical frequency comb assembly includes operating an optical frequency comb source to generate laser light constituting an optical frequency comb and introducing the laser light into a common light path and seeding at least one branch light path by the laser light from the common light path, the branch light path comprising at least one optical element. For the branch light path, a phase difference of a first frequency mode ?1 of the optical frequency comb is determined between laser light coupled out at a reference point within the frequency comb assembly upstream of the at least one optical element and laser light coupled out at a measurement point provided in the branch light path downstream of the at least one optical element. Phase correction for the laser light from the branch light path is based on a deviation of the determined phase difference from a target value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: Menlo Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Michele Giunta, Wolfgang Hänsel, Ronald Holzwarth
  • Patent number: 10720750
    Abstract: A method for operating a laser device, including providing a laser pulse in a resonator so that the laser pulse circulates in the resonator, the laser pulse having a carrier wave; determining an offset frequency (f0) of the frequency comb corresponding to the laser pulse, the frequency comb having a plurality of laser modes (fm) at a distance (frep) from one another, the frequencies of which can be described by the formula: fm=m*frep+f0, m being a natural number, and varying the offset frequency (f0) by varying a geometric phase (??) that is imparted to the carrier wave of the laser pulse per resonator circulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: MENLO SYSTEMS GMBH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Haensel, Tilo Steinmetz, Marc Fischer, Matthias Lezius, Ronald Holzwarth
  • Patent number: 10164402
    Abstract: A method for operating a laser device (1), wherein an optical frequency comb can be stabilized and the frequencies of the modes thereof are describable by the formula fm=m×frep+f0, where frep is a mode spacing, f0 is an offset frequency and m is a natural number. At least one signal (S1, S2, S3, S4) is determined, which correlates with an actual value of a degree of freedom (F), wherein the degree of freedom (F) is a linear combination of the offset frequency f0 and the mode spacing frep of the frequency comb. The actual value of the degree of freedom (F) is set in a predetermined capture range (F) of a second control unit (40) using a first control unit (10) on the basis of the signal. As soon as the capture range (?Fcapture) of the second control unit (40) is reached, the second control unit (40) is activated and the actual value is regulated to an intended value (?Fintended) with the aid of the second control unit (40).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: MENLO SYSTEMS GMBH
    Inventors: Marc Fischer, Ronald Holzwarth, Olaf Mandel
  • Patent number: 9705279
    Abstract: In a resonator arrangement (1) including a resonator (2), an interferometer (9) is arranged inside the resonator (2) and includes at least a first and a second interferometer leg (9a, 9b). The two interferometer legs (9a, 9b) have optical path lengths (L1, L2) that differ from each other. According to the invention a splitting ratio is variably adjustable, with which the interferometer (9) splits radiation (8) circulating in the resonator (2) into the first and second interferometer legs (9a, 9b).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: MENLO SYSTEMS GMBH
    Inventors: Ronald Holzwarth, Wolfgang Haensel
  • Patent number: 9618392
    Abstract: A spectroscopy assembly having a first and a second optical ring resonator, each provided with a material having an intensity-dependent refraction index. The spectroscopy assembly further includes at least one waveguide, which is guided along the optical ring resonator at a distance such that the light of a continuous wave laser guided in the waveguide can be coupled into the optical ring resonator, and a frequency comb generated from the light of the continuous wave laser in the optical ring resonator can be coupled out of the waveguide. The optical ring resonators and the at least one waveguide are provided on a common substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignees: MENLO SYSTEMS GMBH, ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FEDERALE DE LAUSANNE
    Inventors: Tobias Kippenberg, Ronald Holzwarth
  • Patent number: 9276372
    Abstract: In a laser (12, 18) with a laser resonator (13), the laser resonator (13) has a non-linear optical loop mirror (1, 1?), NOLM, which is adapted to guide counter-propagating portions of laser pulses, and to bring the counter-propagating portions of laser pulses into interference with each other at an exit point (4) of the NOLM (1, 1?). The non-linear optical loop mirror (1, 1?) contains a non-reciprocal optical element (7, 7?) on a linear section of the NOLM. In addition to the NOLM, the laser resonator (13) has a linear cavity section. The linear section of the NOLM and the linear cavity section (19) are reassembled on a microoptical bench (112) or within a cylindrical carrier (112).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: MENLO SYSTEMS GMBH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Haensel, Ronald Holzwarth, Ralf Doubek, Michael Mei, Martin Engelbrecht
  • Patent number: 8995796
    Abstract: The invention relates to a system (1) for generating a (high-frequency) beat signal. The system has a first light source (3) with a multimode spectrum, a second light source (4) and a coupler and filter arrangement (5) with a first port (6) for coupling in light from the first light source (3), and a second port (7) for coupling in light from the second light source (4). Furthermore, a detector (11) is provided to which light of both light sources (3, 4) can be supplied. The coupler and filter arrangement (5) has a spectral filter (20, 28) for filtering out one or several modes from the spectrum of the first light source (3), and a first fiber-optical coupler (17, 23, 26) for coupling the light of the second light source (4) and the not yet filtered or the already filtered light of the first light source (3). The coupler and filter arrangement (5) is configured to be merely fiber-optical.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Menlo Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Ronald Holzwarth, Marc Fischer, Michael Mei
  • Patent number: 8873601
    Abstract: A laser (12, 18) with a laser resonator (13), the laser resonator (13) having a non-linear optical loop mirror (1, 1?), NOLM, which is adapted to guide counter-propagating portions of laser pulses, and to bring the counter-propagating portions of laser pulses into interference with each other at an exit point (4) of the NOLM (1, 1?). The non-linear optical loop mirror (1, 1?) has a non-reciprocal optical element (7, 7?).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Menlo Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Haensel, Ronald Holzwarth, Ralf Doubek, Michael Mei
  • Patent number: 8816302
    Abstract: The invention relates to an optical arrangement (20) and to a method of examining or processing an object (46). Here, a first laser pulse with a first central wavelength and a second laser pulse with a second central wavelength different from the first central wavelength are generated. Both pulses are superimposed in or on the object (46) such that multi-photon absorption takes place there with the involvement of at least one photon of the first laser pulse and at least one photon of the second laser pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Menlo Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Mei, Ronald Holzwarth, Marc Fischer
  • Patent number: 8737439
    Abstract: The invention relates to an optical assembly (1) comprising a pulsed light source (2) for generating primary light pulses (4), a pulse splitter (5) for splitting said primary light pulses (4) into first and second secondary light pulses (7), and a delay element (8) for delaying said second secondary light pulses (7) relative to said first secondary light pulses (6), where the pulse repetition rate of said pulsed light source (2) is variable in order to change a temporal delay between different secondary light pulses (6,7) The invention is characterized in that said optical assembly (1) comprises a thermal insulation (12), a temperature stabilizer (16) or a temperature compensator (13) for said delay element (8) and/or a control circuit (27) for determining and controlling a drift of said pulse repetition rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Menlo Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Rafal Wilk, Ronald Holzwarth, Michael Mei
  • Patent number: 8619355
    Abstract: A device for generating or receiving electromagnetic radiation in a frequency range from 10 GHz to 100 THz is provided. The device includes a housing and a wave guide fiber leading into the housing. The wave guide fiber is adapted for guiding pulsed laser light with a first central wavelength. Within the housing, a terahertz converter is provided for generating or receiving the electromagnetic radiation in the terahertz range. The device also includes a frequency converter for converting the light exiting from the wave guide fiber to a second central wavelength being arranged between the end of the wave guide fiber and the terahertz converter in such a way that the terahertz converter is impinged by the frequency converted light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Menlo Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Ronald Holzwarth, Rafal Wilk
  • Patent number: 8446656
    Abstract: A method for generating two delayed pulses, in particular in terahertz spectroscopy and/or in pump-probe experiments, with the following method steps: generating a pulsed beam using a beam source, in particular a pulsed laser; dividing the pulsed beam, where a first partial beam contains a first pulse and a second partial beam contains a second pulse; directing the two pulses onto a respective target area, the first pulse directly reaching a first target area and the second pulse reaches a second target area after covering a delay path, and the two target areas may coincide; using the two pulses, in particular for a measuring method, where a time delay of the two pulses in the respective target area is adjustable by a pulse repetition rate of the pulsed beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Menlo Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Eugen Hochrein, Martin Koch, Norman Krumbholz
  • Patent number: 7965440
    Abstract: A device for generating or receiving electromagnetic radiation in a frequency range from 10 GHz to 100 THz is provided. The device includes a housing and a wave guide fiber leading into the housing. The wave guide fiber is adapted for guiding pulsed laser light with a first central wavelength. Within the housing, a terahertz converter is provided for generating or receiving the electromagnetic radiation in the terahertz range. The device also includes a frequency converter for converting the light exiting from the wave guide fiber to a second central wavelength being arranged between the end of the wave guide fiber and the terahertz converter in such a way that the terahertz converter is impinged by the frequency converted light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: Menlo Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Ronald Holzwarth, Rafal Wilk
  • Patent number: 7804863
    Abstract: The invention concerns a laser system with a frequency comb generator for generating a comb of optical frequencies having an offset frequency and a plurality of equidistant modes. The laser system further preferably includes at least one stabilizer for stabilizing the frequency comb onto a certain offset frequency and/or onto a certain mode spacing. The laser system further includes an optical amplifier for amplifying the frequency comb coupled out of the frequency comb generator, the amplification factor of this amplifier being variable; and the amplifier is followed by a Raman medium for generating a Raman shift of the frequency comb.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: Menlo Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Adel, Marc Fischer, Michael Mei, Ronald Holzwarth
  • Patent number: 7418017
    Abstract: A description is given of an optical structure (100), in particular for determining and stabilizing the relative phase of short pulses, which contains a broadening device (6) for broadening the frequency spectrum of pulses of electromagnetic radiation, and a frequency multiplier device (8) for multiplying at least one frequency component of the pulses, wherein a focusing lens optic (7) is arranged between the broadening device and the frequency multiplier device, which focusing lens optic can be used to focus the pulses into the frequency multiplier device (8). Uses of this optical structure are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: Menlo Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Ronald Holzwarth, Michael Mei
  • Publication number: 20070071060
    Abstract: A description is given of an optical structure (100), in particular for determining and stabilizing the relative phase of short pulses, which contains a broadening device (6) for broadening the frequency spectrum of pulses of electromagnetic radiation, and a frequency multiplier device (8) for multiplying at least one frequency component of the pulses, wherein a focusing lens optic (7) is arranged between the broadening device and the frequency multiplier device, which focusing lens optic can be used to focus the pulses into the frequency multiplier device (8). Uses of this optical structure are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2006
    Publication date: March 29, 2007
    Applicant: MENLO SYSTEMS GMBH
    Inventors: Ronald Holzwarth, Michael Mel