Patents Examined by Tod T. Van Roy
  • Patent number: 11646545
    Abstract: The present invention provides methods and an apparatus for monitoring the optical output power of a laser diode (LD) having an associated photodiode (PD), and a particle sensor apparatus. The photodiode (PD) is operable together with the laser diode (LD), wherein it detects the light (LS) of the laser diode (LD) and converts it into an electrical current, and is thermally coupled to the laser diode (LD). Monitoring of the optical output power P is effected during the operation of the laser diode (LD) and is based on current measurements and/or voltage measurements at the laser diode (LD) and at the photodiode (PD).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignees: Trumpf Photonic Components GmbH, Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Robert Wolf, Soren Sofke, Philipp Gerlach, Susanne Weidenfeld, Rico Srowik
  • Patent number: 11646542
    Abstract: A laser oscillator includes a housing, an optical fiber disposed in the housing and including a fused portion or a curved portion, an optical absorber positioned between the housing and the fused portion or the curved portion and configured to absorb leakage light from the optical fiber, a thermally conductive support column configured to support the optical absorber, and a cooling unit configured to cool the optical absorber via the thermally conductive support column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Fanuc Corporation
    Inventor: Tetsuya Chiba
  • Patent number: 11621535
    Abstract: A fiber laser apparatus includes: a short-length type fiber to which an active element is added and that has a length of 300 mm or less: a ferrule attached to an end of the fiber; and a housing that accommodates the fiber and supports the fiber with the ferrule. Each of the housing and the ferrule is composed of a material having a first thermal expansion coefficient that is equal to or have a predetermined difference from a second thermal expansion coefficient of a raw material of the fiber. The predetermined difference between the first and second thermal expansion coefficients is within ?8.6×10?6 to 11.4×10?6/K.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: KIMMON KOHA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasushi Fujimoto, Paul Binun, Shinji Motokoshi, Masamori Nakahara, Takeshi Hamada
  • Patent number: 11605933
    Abstract: A laser structure may include a substrate, an active region arranged on the substrate, and a waveguide arranged on the active region. The waveguide may include a first surface and a second surface that join to form a first angle relative to the active region. A material may be deposited on the first surface and the second surface of the waveguide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: MACOM Technology Solutions Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Ali Badar Alamin Dow, Jason Daniel Bowker, Malcolm R. Green
  • Patent number: 11600965
    Abstract: A method (900) includes a gain current (IGAIN) to an anode of a gain-section diode (D0) disposed on a shared substrate of a tunable laser (310), delivering a modulation signal to an anode of an Electro-absorption section diode (D2) disposed on the shared substrate of the tunable laser, and receiving a burst mode signal (330) indicative of a burst-on state or a burst-off state. When the burst mode signal is indicative of the burst-off state, the method includes sinking a sink current (ISINK) away from the gain current at the anode of the gain-section diode. When the burst mode signal transitions to be indicative of the burst-on state from the burst-off state, the method includes ceasing the sinking of the sink current away from the gain current and delivering an overshoot current (IOVER) to the anode of the gain-section diode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Tao Zhang, Cedric Fung Lam, Shuang Yin, Xiangjun Zhao, Liang Du, Changhong Joy Jiang, Adam Edwin Taylor Barratt, Claudio Desanti, Muthu Nagarajan
  • Patent number: 11594856
    Abstract: A method (900) includes delivering a first bias current (IGAIN) to an anode of gain-section diode (590a) and delivering a second bias current (IPH) to an anode of a phase-section diode (590b). The method also includes receiving a burst mode signal (514) indicative of a burst-on state or a burst-on state, and sinking a first sink current (ISINK) away from the first bias current when the burst mode signal is indicative of the burst-off state. When the burst mode signal transitions to be indicative of the burst-on state from the burst-off state, the method also includes sinking a second sink current away from the second bias current at the anode of the phase-section diode and ceasing the sinking of the first sink current away from the first bias current at the anode of the gain section diode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Tao Zhang, Cedric Fung Lam, Shuang Yin, Xiangjun Zhao, Liang Du, Changhong Joy Jiang, Adam Edwin Taylor Barratt, Claudio Desanti, Muthu Nagarajan
  • Patent number: 11594855
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser drive circuit includes: an anode electrode divided into at least one gain region and at least one light absorption region; a cathode electrode shared between the gain region and the light absorption region; and a resistance connected to the anode electrode of the light absorption region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takahiro Koyama, Tomoki Ono
  • Patent number: 11594860
    Abstract: An array layout of VCSELs is intentionally mis-aligned with respect to the xy-plane of the device structure as defined by the crystallographic axes of the semiconductor material. The mis-alignment may take the form of skewing the emitter array with respect to the xy-plane, or rotating the emitter array. In either case, the layout pattern retains the desired, row/column structure (necessary for dicing the structure into one-dimensional arrays) while reducing the probability that an extended defect along a crystallographic plane will impact a large number of individual emitters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: II-VI Delaware, Inc.
    Inventors: André Bisig, Bonifatius Wilhelmus Tilma, Norbert Lichtenstein
  • Patent number: 11581701
    Abstract: Provided is a nitride semiconductor laser element which includes: a stacked structure including a plurality of semiconductor layers including a light emitting layer, the stacked structure including a pair of resonator end faces located on opposite ends; and a protective film including a dielectric body and disposed on at least one of the pair of resonator end faces. The protective film includes a first protective film (a first emission surface protective film), a second protective film (a second emission surface protective film), and a third protective film (a third emission surface protective film) disposed in stated order above the stacked structure. The first protective film is amorphous, the second protective film is crystalline, and the third protective film is amorphous.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: NUVOTON TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION JAPAN
    Inventors: Hideo Kitagawa, Shinji Yoshida, Isao Kidoguchi
  • Patent number: 11581702
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser diode is disclosed. In an embodiment a semiconductor laser diode includes a first resonator and a second resonator, the first and second resonators having parallel resonator directions along a longitudinal direction and being monolithically integrated into the semiconductor laser diode, wherein the first resonator includes at least a part of a semiconductor layer sequence having an active layer and an active region configured to be electrically pumped to generate a first light, wherein the longitudinal direction is parallel to a main extension plane of the active layer, and wherein the second resonator has an active region with a laser-active material configured to be optically pumped by at least a part of the first light to produce a second light which is partially emitted outwards from the second resonator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: OSRAM OLED GMBH
    Inventors: Bernhard Stojetz, Christoph Eichler, Alfred Lell, Sven Gerhard
  • Patent number: 11557874
    Abstract: Methods, devices, and systems for double-sided cooling of laser diodes are provided. In one aspect, a laser diode assembly includes a first heat sink, a plurality of submounts spaced apart from one another on the first heat sink, a plurality of laser diodes, and a second heat sink on top sides of the plurality of laser diodes. Each laser diode includes a corresponding active layer between a first-type doped semiconductor layer and a second-type doped semiconductor layer. A bottom side of each laser diode is positioned on a different corresponding submount of the plurality of submounts. The plurality of laser diode are electrically connected in series.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: Trumpf Photonics, Inc.
    Inventors: Prasanta Modak, Stefan Heinemann, Berthold Schmidt
  • Patent number: 11552454
    Abstract: Integrated laser sources emitting multi-wavelengths of light with reduced thermal transients and crosstalk and methods for operating thereof are disclosed. The integrated laser sources can include one or more heaters and a temperature control system to maintain a total thermal load of the gain segment, the heater(s), or both of a given laser to be within a range based on a predetermined target value. The system can include electrical circuitry configured to distribute current to the gain segment, the heater(s), or both. The heater(s) can be located proximate to the gain segment, and the distribution of current can be based on the relative locations. In some examples, the central laser can be heated prior to being activated. In some examples, one or more of the plurality of lasers can operate in a subthreshold operation mode when the laser is not lasing to minimize thermal perturbations to proximate lasers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Alan Arbore, Gary Shambat, Miikka M. Kangas, Ross M. Audet, Jeffrey G. Koller
  • Patent number: 11552442
    Abstract: A laser device (100), being configured for generating laser pulses by Ken lens based mode locking, comprises a laser resonator (10) with a plurality of resonator mirrors (11.1, 11.2, 11.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignees: MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTEN E.V., LUDWIG-MAXIMILIANS-UNIVERSITAET MUENCHEN
    Inventors: Oleg Pronin, Ferenc Krausz, Sebastian Groebmeyer, Jonathan Brons
  • Patent number: 11552440
    Abstract: A laser is disclosed having a housing formed of a block of glass-ceramic. The block is machined (or otherwise formed) to define one or more channels that act as a waveguide in two dimensions for light within the laser resonator. The channels extend between cavities also formed within the block which retain optical components of the laser, e.g. one or more of the gain medium, cavity mirrors, intermediate reflectors etc. The positioning, shape and size of each cavity is bespoke for the optical component it holds in order that each optical component is retained in optical alignment rigidly against the sides of the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: LEONARDO UK LTD
    Inventors: Robert Lamb, Ian Elder
  • Patent number: 11552446
    Abstract: A cooling device (1) for cooling an electrical component (4), in particular a laser diode, including a base body (2) with at least one outer face (20) and at least one integrated cooling channel (5), in particular a micro-cooling channel, a connecting surface (21) on the outer face (20) of the base body (2) for connecting the electrical component (4) to the base body (2) and a first stabilising layer (11), wherein the first stabilising layer (11) and the connecting surface (21) are arranged at least partially one above the other along a primary direction (P), and wherein the first stabilising layer (11) is offset relative to the outer face (20) towards the interior of the base body (2) by a distance (A) along a direction parallel to the primary direction (P).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: ROGERS GERMANY GMBH
    Inventors: Nico Kuhn, Manfred Götz, Andreas Meyer, Vitalij Gil, Johannes Wiesend
  • Patent number: 11552452
    Abstract: An optoelectronic device grown on a miscut of GaN, wherein the miscut comprises a semi-polar GaN crystal plane (of the GaN) miscut x degrees from an m-plane of the GaN and in a c-direction of the GaN, where ?15<x<?1 and 1<x<15 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Po Shan Hsu, Kathryn M. Kelchner, Robert M. Farrell, Daniel A. Haeger, Hiroaki Ohta, Anurag Tyagi, Shuji Nakamura, Steven P. DenBaars, James S. Speck
  • Patent number: 11545809
    Abstract: A laser light source unit for vehicles is provided, having a resonator containing a first end mirror and a second end mirror and an active laser medium in between. The laser light source unit has a pump device for generating a pump radiation into the resonator. The pump radiation is configured such that laser light of the first wavelength, a second wavelength, and/or a third wavelength can be radiated. An intermediate mirror is configured so that the radiation of the second wavelength is reflected, and the radiation of the third wavelength is transmitted. A third end mirror is configured so that the radiation of the second wavelength is reflected. A color control module acts on the radiation of the second wavelength and/or the third wavelength so that an intensity of the stimulated emission of the radiation of the second wavelength is adjusted to the radiation of the third wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: Hella GmbH & Co. KGaA
    Inventors: Hanieh Babaei, Julien Hansen, Lukas Pörtner
  • Patent number: 11545811
    Abstract: Laser driver designs that aim to reduce or eliminate the problem of fault laser firing are disclosed. Various laser driver designs presented herein are based on providing a current dissipation path that is configured to start providing a resistance for dissipating at least a portion, but preferably substantially all, of the negative current from the laser diode. Dissipating at least a portion of the negative current may decrease the unintentional increase of the voltage at the input to the laser diode and, therefore, reduce the likelihood that fault laser firing will occur. A control logic may be used to control the timing of when the current dissipation path is activated (i.e., provides the resistance to dissipate the negative current from the laser diode) and when it is deactivated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: ANALOG DEVICES INTERNATIONAL UNLIMITED COMPANY
    Inventors: Celal Avci, Yalcin Alper Eken, Ercan Kaymaksut, Shawn S. Kuo, Atilim Ergul, Mehmet Arda Akkaya
  • Patent number: 11515684
    Abstract: There is provided a device to generate an output light. The device comprises a substrate, a quantum well structure (QWS) disposed on the substrate, and a waveguide disposed on the substrate and in contact with the QWS. The QWS has a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer. The second layer is disposed and quantum-confined between the first layer and the third layer. In addition, the second layer is to emit an input light when electrically biased. The input light has an optical field extending outside the QWS and into the waveguide, to optically couple the waveguide with the QWS. The waveguide is to provide an optical resonance cavity for the input light. Moreover, the waveguide has an optical outlet to transmit at least some of the input light out of the waveguide to generate the output light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventor: Douglas Raymond Dykaar
  • Patent number: 11509114
    Abstract: A QCL may include a substrate, an emitting facet, and semiconductor layers adjacent the substrate and defining an active region. The active region may have a longitudinal axis canted at an oblique angle to the emitting facet of the substrate. The QCL may include an optical grating being adjacent the active region and configured to emit one of a CW laser output or a pulsed laser output through the emitting facet of substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC.
    Inventor: Arkadiy Lyakh