Patents Examined by Xinning (Tom) Niu
  • Patent number: 11476633
    Abstract: Systems and methods for ring laser gyroscopes (RLGs) are provided. An RLG includes a traveling-wave resonator cavity with three or more mirrors and a gain medium positioned in the traveling-wave resonator cavity between two of the three or more mirrors. The gain medium is a solid-state gain medium or a nonlinear optical medium. The RLG further includes a first pump laser and a second pump laser to pump the gain medium in different directions and generate first and second lasing signals that traverse the traveling-wave resonator cavity in a opposite directions. The RLG further includes first and second photodetectors to measure levels of the first and second lasing signals. The RLG further includes at least one processor configured to adjust a power level of the first pump laser and/or a power level of the second pump laser based on the measured power levels of the first and second lasing signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Tiequn Qiu, Teresa Marta, Jianfeng Wu
  • Patent number: 11469569
    Abstract: Described herein are methods for developing and maintaining pulses that are produced from compact resonant cavities using one or more Q-switches and maintaining the output parameters of these pulses created during repetitive pulsed operation. The deterministic control of the evolution of a Q-switched laser pulse is complicated due to dynamic laser cavity feedback effects and unpredictable environmental inputs. Laser pulse shape control in a compact laser cavity (e.g., length/speed of light <˜1 ns) is especially difficult because closed loop control becomes impossible due to causality. Because various issues cause laser output of these compact resonator cavities to drift over time, described herein are further methods for automatically maintaining those output parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Arete Associates
    Inventor: Micah Boyd
  • Patent number: 11462884
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an approach for monitoring the output power of a VCSEL or VCSEL array in a relatively compact, low profile package. A VCSEL device or VCSEL package of the present disclosure may generally be configured with a photodiode for monitoring output power of one or more VCSELs. In some embodiments, one or more VCSEL devices may be arranged over or on a photodetector, such that the photodetector is configured to detect light emitted through a bottom of the VCSEL. In such embodiments, the VCSEL device may have a patterned bottom metal layer and/or an etched substrate to allow light to pass below or behind the VCSEL to the photodiode. In other embodiments, a photodetector may be arranged on a submount adjacent one or more VCSELs, and may be configured to detect light reflected via a diffuser in order to monitor output power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Vixar, Inc.
    Inventor: Klein L. Johnson
  • Patent number: 11462887
    Abstract: A laser element includes a light emitting portion that has at least two or more light emitting points, and a terminal member on which the light emitting portion is mounted. The terminal member includes a base portion that has a mounting surface on which the light emitting portion is mounted, a base that has a front surface where the base portion is provided substantially at a center, and four pins that extend from a rear surface of the base. The light emitting portion is positioned in a range surrounded by the four pins as viewed from the front surface of the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaya Ishida, Takuya Nishida
  • Patent number: 11456576
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing an optical semiconductor device having a ridge stripe configuration containing an active layer and current blocking layers which embed both sides of the ridge stripe configuration, comprises steps of forming a mask of an insulating film on a surface of a semiconductor layer containing an active layer, forming a ridge stripe configuration by etching a semiconductor layer using gas containing SiCl4, removing an oxide layer with regard to a Si based residue which is attached on a surface which is etched of the ridge stripe configuration which is formed and removing a Si based residue whose oxide layer is removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Sakuma, Kazumasa Kishimoto
  • Patent number: 11446086
    Abstract: Methods, systems and apparatus are disclosed for delivery of pulsed treatment radiation by employing a pump radiation source generating picosecond pulses at a first wavelength, and a frequency-shifting resonator having a losing medium and resonant cavity configured to receive the picosecond pulses from the pump source at the first wavelength and to emit radiation at a second wavelength in response thereto, wherein the resonant cavity of the frequency-shifting resonator has a round trip time shorter than the duration of the picosecond pulses generated by the pump radiation source. Methods, systems and apparatus are also disclosed for providing beam uniformity and a sub-harmonic resonator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: CYNOSURE, LLC
    Inventors: Mirko Georgiev Mirkov, Daniel Hohm, Christian Hoffman, Rafael Armando Sierra
  • Patent number: 11451005
    Abstract: An all-fiber airtight packaging structure with semiconductor saturable absorber mirror includes a ceramic optical fiber ferrule connector, a SESAM, a SESAM fixed block, a TEC chilling plate, a sealing shell, and a cover plate. The cover plate seals the sealing shell by connecting to a sealing shell surface. The TEC chilling plate and the SESAM fixed block are set in the sealing shell. The SESAM fixed block is located above the TEC chilling plate. The SESAM is pasted on the SESAM fixed block. A sealing shell central hole is defined in the sealing shell. The ceramic optical fiber ferrule connector is entered into the sealing shell through the sealing shell central hole, and an output end of ceramic optical fiber ferrule connector is opposited to an end of SESAM which is mounted on the SESAM fixed block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: WUHAN YANGTZE SOTON LASER CO. LTD.
    Inventors: Wei Wan, Kangkang Chen, Fei He, Si Zou, Jianxin Luo
  • Patent number: 11451012
    Abstract: A vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) array may comprise a first subset of VCSELs of a plurality of VCSELs, and a second subset of VCSELs of the plurality of VCSELs. One or more first beams to be emitted by the first subset of VCSELs, when the VCSEL array is powered, and one or more second beams to be emitted by the second subset of VCSELs, when the VCSEL array is powered, may have different patterns of areas of energy intensity. The different patterns of areas of energy intensity may include respective areas of high energy intensity and respective areas of low energy intensity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Lumentum Operations LLC
    Inventors: Xiaohua Lou, Delai Zhou, Hery Djie
  • Patent number: 11444430
    Abstract: A light emission device includes: a plurality of semiconductor light-emitting elements; an optical element configured to collimate light emitted from each of the plurality of semiconductor light-emitting elements and output a plurality of collimated beams; a converging portion having an aspheric surface configured to converge the plurality of collimated beams; and a wavelength-converting portion including a transmissive region and a reflective region that surrounds the transmissive region, the transmissive region including a light-incident surface at which the plurality of collimated beams enter, wherein the transmissive region includes a phosphor adapted to be excited by the plurality of collimated beams that have been converged by the converging portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: NICHIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akinori Hara, Toshiaki Yamashita
  • Patent number: 11444428
    Abstract: A MOPA laser system that includes a seed laser configured to output pulsed laser light, an amplifier configured to receive and amplify the pulsed laser light emitted by the seed laser; and a pump laser configured to deliver a pump laser beam to both the seed laser and the amplifier and a variable attenuator configured to eliminate missing Q-switched pulses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: CANDELA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jayant D. Bhawalkar, Xiaoming Shang
  • Patent number: 11431149
    Abstract: A laser including a grating configured to reduce lasing threshold for a selected vertically confined mode as compared to other vertically confined modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Freedom Photonics LLC
    Inventors: Gordon Barbour Morrison, Milan L. Mashanovitch, Hannah Grant
  • Patent number: 11431144
    Abstract: An optical resonator device, which can be implemented in a Brillouin laser, comprises a first waveguide ring resonator having a first diameter, and one or more second waveguide ring resonators adjacent to the first waveguide ring resonator. The one or more second waveguide ring resonators each have a second diameter that is less than the first diameter. The one or more second waveguide ring resonators optically communicate with the first waveguide ring resonator, such that an optical signal in the first waveguide ring resonator optically couples into the one or more second waveguide ring resonators. The one or more second waveguide ring resonators is configured such that when the optical signal resonates within the first waveguide ring resonator and the one or more second waveguide ring resonators, the optical signal within the first waveguide ring resonator is suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Jianfeng Wu, Karl D. Nelson, Matthew Wade Puckett
  • Patent number: 11424598
    Abstract: Laser diode packages include a rigid thermally conductive base member that includes a base member surface situated to support at least one laser diode assembly, at least one electrode standoff secured to the base member surface that has at least one electrical lead having a first end and a second end with the first end secured to a lead surface of the electrode standoff, and a lid member that includes a lid portion and a plurality of side portions extending from the lid portion and situated to be secured to the base member so as to define sides of the laser diode package, wherein at least one of the side portions includes a lead aperture situated to receive the second end of the secured electrical lead that is insertable through the lead aperture so that the lid member extends over the base member to enclose the laser diode package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: nLIGHT, Inc.
    Inventors: David C. Dawson, Wolfram Urbanek, David Martin Hemenway
  • Patent number: 11424592
    Abstract: In various embodiments, the concentration and deposition of siloxane materials within components of laser systems, such as laser resonators, is reduced or minimized utilizing mitigation systems that may also supply gas having low siloxane levels into multiple different components in series or in parallel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Bryan Lochman, Wang-Long Zhou, Francisco Villarreal-Saucedo, Bien Chann
  • Patent number: 11398716
    Abstract: An optical device may include an array of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) having a design wavelength, each VCSEL having an emission area. The optical device may include a first metal layer, substantially covering the array, a second metal layer substantially covering the first metal layer, and an electrical isolation layer, between the first metal layer and the second metal layer, that includes vias for electrically connecting portions of the first metal layer and portions of the second metal layer. The optical device may include a dielectric disposed over the emission area of each VCSEL. A variation in a thickness of the dielectric across at least approximately 90% of an area of the dielectric may be less than approximately 2% of the design wavelength. A depth of a well around the emission area may be equal to at least approximately 10% of a width of the emission area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: Lumentum Operations LLC
    Inventor: Eric R. Hegblom
  • Patent number: 11394176
    Abstract: A light emitting device includes: a solid-state light emitting element that radiates blue-series laser light; and a wavelength converter 100 that absorbs the laser light and performs wavelength conversion of the absorbed laser light into light with a longer wavelength than a wavelength of the laser light. The wavelength converter includes: a silicate phosphor 1 containing Lu2CaMg2(SiO4)3:Ce3+ as a main component; and an aluminate phosphor 2 containing Lu3(Al1-xGax)2(AlO4)3:Ce3+ (where x is a numeric value that satisfies 0<x?1) as a main component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Abe, Shozo Oshio
  • Patent number: 11394167
    Abstract: A wavelength selection method for a tunable laser includes: obtaining a target wavelength; and calculating target resistance values of two thermistors, respectively, corresponding to the target wavelength. Each of the two thermistors is used to monitor the temperature of a corresponding one of two wavelength selection components. Each of the target resistance values is calculated according to a relationship between a wavelength drift and a resistance change of the corresponding thermistor and according to an initial wavelength and an initial resistance value of the corresponding thermistor corresponding to the initial wavelength. The method further includes: heating the two wavelength selection components to control their temperatures until real-time resistance values of the two thermistors reach the target resistance values, respectively; and stabilizing the real-time resistance values at the target resistance values and outputting a laser beam having the target wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: InnoLight Technology (Suzhou) Ltd.
    Inventors: Liang Luo, Wenkai Tu, Jinan Gu
  • Patent number: 11387620
    Abstract: An apparatus includes at least one Raman medium configured to receive a pump beam and shift at least a portion of the pump beam into a Stokes-shifted output beam. The apparatus also includes a first lens configured to receive and focus the pump beam into the at least one Raman medium. The apparatus further includes first and second retro-lens assemblies, each including at least one prism configured to reflect beams from the at least one Raman medium back into the at least one Raman medium and multiple second lenses configured to control optical propagation of the beams entering and exiting the at least one Raman medium. Multiple pairs of lenses form multiple confocal arrangements of lenses. The pairs of lenses include the first lens and the second lenses of the retro-lens assemblies. The at least one Raman medium is optically positioned between the lenses in the confocal arrangements of lenses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventor: David A. Rockwell
  • Patent number: 11381059
    Abstract: A process for creating a stabilized diode laser device is disclosed, where the stabilized diode laser device includes a unibody mounting plate and several chambers aligned along a transmission axis. Various optic components are placed in the chambers, and based on a transmission through the chambers, the optic components are aligned and secured within the chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
    Inventors: Andrew P. Bartko, Ryan W. Daly, Theodore J. Ronningen, Brad Ross, Karen Walczak
  • Patent number: 11374377
    Abstract: It is necessary to reduce the power consumption of a plurality of optical amplifiers when there is a difference in the required pumping power between the plurality of optical amplifiers; therefore, an optical amplifying apparatus according to an exemplary aspect of the invention includes a plurality of optical amplifying means for amplifying a plurality of optical signals, each of the plurality of optical amplifying means including a gain medium; a plurality of laser light generating means for generating a plurality of laser beams; at least one optical coupling means for coupling the plurality of laser beams variably in accordance with a coupling factor and outputting a plurality of excitation light beams, each of the plurality of excitation light beams exciting the gain medium; and controlling means for controlling the coupling factor and an output power of each of the plurality of laser light generating means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Emmanuel Le Taillandier De Gabory, Shigeyuki Yanagimachi, Shigeru Nakamura, Keiichi Matsumoto