Patents by Inventor Andreas Tünnermann

Andreas Tünnermann has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9057928
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for generation of electromagnetic radiation, having a pump light source that emits an excitation radiation at a first wavelength, and having an optical waveguide that generates frequency-converted radiation at a second and a third wavelength, by means of degenerate wave mixing, from the excitation radiation of the pump light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignees: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V., Friedrich-Schiller-Universitaet Jena
    Inventors: César Jauregui Misas, Andreas Tuennermann, Jens Limpert, Dirk Nodop
  • Patent number: 8982453
    Abstract: The invention relates to a laser device (1) for amplifying and/or transporting electromagnetic radiation, comprising a radiation source (2) for generating the electromagnetic radiation and an amplifier (4) for amplifying or a medium for transporting the generated electromagnetic radiation. In order to make available a device (1) for amplifying or transporting electromagnetic radiation that provides a very easy to implement possibility for reducing the influence of non-linear effects, the electromagnetic radiation propagating in the amplifier (4) or medium is largely non-linearly polarized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignees: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Angewandten Forschung E.V., Friedrich-Schiller-Universitaet Jena
    Inventors: Jens Limpert, Andreas Tuennermann, Damian Schimpf, Tino Eidam, Enrico Seise, Fabian Roeser
  • Publication number: 20150063767
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and corresponding devices for reducing mode instability in an optical waveguide (1), a light signal becoming unstable in the optical waveguide (1) beyond an output power threshold and energy being transformed from a basic mode into higher order modes. The invention proposes a reduction in temperature variation (2) along the optical waveguide (1) and/or a reduction in changes in the optical waveguide (1) that are caused by spatial temperature variation as a result of mode interference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2013
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Applicants: FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FÖRDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG e.V., FRIEDRICH-SCHILLER-UNIVERSITÄT JENA
    Inventors: César Jáuregui Misas, Hans-Jürgen Otto, Fabian Stutzki, Florian Jansen, Tino Eidam, Jens Limpert, Andreas Tünnermann
  • Patent number: 8948219
    Abstract: The invention relates to a laser system with a passively Q-switched laser 1, a spectrally widening element 3, and a compression element 4. Laser systems of this kind are utilized for generating ultra-short laser pulses. Systems, mode-coupled solid-state lasers known from prior art allow for generating laser pulses in the sub-10 ps range only with complicated and alignment-sensitive free-beam arrangements. Therefore, it is the object of the present invention to create a laser system that generates pulse durations of less than 10 ps and which is simple and compact to produce at the same time. In order to achieve this object, the present invention proposes that the passively Q-switched laser 1 is provided with a longitudinally monomode output radiation which is spectrally widened by means of the spectrally widening element 3 by self-phase modulation and is temporally compressed by the compression element 4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignees: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Angewandten Forschung E.V., Friedrich-Schiller-Universitaet Jena
    Inventors: Dirk Nodop, Alexander Steinmetz, Jens Limpert, Andreas Tuennermann
  • Publication number: 20140362878
    Abstract: The invention relates to a mode filter for reducing higher-order modes, with an optical fibre (1), which has a core (2) and a cladding (3) surrounding the latter, wherein the cladding (3) and core (2) have refractive indices that differ from one another. In order to develop an alternative to the prior art, the mode filter according to the invention is designed in such a manner that the fibre (1) has, in a transition region (4) between core (2) and cladding (3), at least one local refractive index modification region (5) which is arranged in the radially outer region of the core (2) and extends into the region of the cladding (3).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Publication date: December 11, 2014
    Applicants: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V., Friedrich-Schiller-Universitaet Jena
    Inventors: Christian Voigtlaender, Jens Ulrich Thomas, Robert Williams, Stefan Nolte, Andreas Tuennermann
  • Patent number: 8891917
    Abstract: The invention relates to a transverse mode filter in an optical waveguide (3). The aim of the invention is to produce a transverse mode filter that permits a monolithic construction of a laser in a multi-mode waveguide. To achieve this, according to the invention the filter comprises a Fabry-Perot cavity integrated into the optical waveguide (3) and comprising two reflective elements (5) situated at a distance from one another. In addition, the waveguide (3) is modified in the region of the Fabry-Perot cavity and/or in the region of the reflective elements (5) in relation to the remaining regions of the waveguide with respect to the effective refractive index of at least one mode of the waveguide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignees: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V., Friedrich-Schiller-Universitaet Jena
    Inventors: Jens Ulrich Thomas, Christian Voigtlaender, Stefan Nolte, César Jáuregui Misas, Fabian Stutzki, Jens Limpert, Andreas Tuennermann
  • Patent number: 8778121
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for laser-assisted bonding of substrates, in which these are connected together firstly frictionally by pressing together and subsequently strengthening of the connection between the substrates is effected by activation in regions which is induced by laser irradiation. The invention likewise relates to substrates produced accordingly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignees: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur der Andewandten, Friedrich-Schiller-Universtaet Jena
    Inventors: Andreas Tuennermann, Ramona Eberhardt, Gerhard Kalkowski, Stefan Nolte
  • Patent number: 8760753
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a device (12) and to a method for amplifying light impulses (13). The device comprises a stretcher (15) stretching the light impulses over time, at least one amplifier (16) amplifying the stretched light impulses, and a compressor (17) compressing the stretched and amplified light impulses, wherein the amplifier (16) applies a non-linear phase generated by self-phase modulation to the stretched light impulses. In order to provide a device and a method for amplifying light impulses, by means of which light impulses having higher light impulse quality and light impulse peak power can be generated, the invention proposes that means for spectrally shaping the light impulses are disposed ahead of the amplifier (16) in the beam path, wherein the means for spectrally shaping the light impulses bring about a spectral trimming of the light impulses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignees: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V., Friedrich-Schiller-Universitaet Jena
    Inventors: Jens Limpert, Enrico Seise, Damian Schimpf, Fabian Roeser, Andreas Tuennermann
  • Publication number: 20140112612
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for generating azimuthally or radially polarized radiation by means of an optical waveguide (1), wherein the optical waveguide (1) has a structure which is suitable for conducting azimuthally or radially polarized modes (5, 7). The invention proposes that the azimuthally or radially polarized modes (5, 7) in the optical waveguide (1) have different effective refractive indices and, within the optical waveguide (1), a narrow-band grating (2) is arranged, in particular a fibre Bragg grating (2) which is designed such that the spectral distance between two azimuthally or radially polarized resonant modes (5, 7) is equal to or greater than the associated spectral bandwidth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2011
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Applicant: FRIEDRICH-SCHILLER-UNIVERSITAET JENA
    Inventors: Andreas Tuennermann, Christoph Jocher, César Jauregui Misas, Jens Limpert
  • Patent number: 8659821
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a device (1, 11) for amplifying light pulses (2, 12), the device comprised of a stretcher (4, 14) which temporally stretches the light pulses (2, 12), and comprised of at least one amplifier (5, 15) which amplifies the stretched light pulses (2, 12), and comprised of a compressor (6, 16) which recompresses the stretched and amplified light pulses (2, 12), the stretcher (4, 14) and the compressor (6, 16) being dispersive elements with essentially oppositely identical dispersion. To provide a device (1, 11) for amplifying light pulses (2, 12) which is of a compact setup and which can be flexibly applied, the present invention proposes that the dispersion of the amplifier (5, 15), the dispersion of further optical elements of the device (1) and/or a mismatch of dispersion of the stretcher (4, 14) and compressor (6, 16) are at least partly compensated by self-phase modulation of the light pulses (2, 12) and/or by at least one additional element (17) of variable dispersion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignees: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e. V., Friedrich-Schiller-Universitaet Jena
    Inventors: Damian Schimpf, Jens Limpert, Andreas Tuennermann
  • Publication number: 20140010246
    Abstract: The invention relates to a double-sheath fiber having a core region (1) and a sheath region, the sheath region having an inner region (2) and an outer region (3), which comprises a refractive index that is lower with respect to that of the inner region (2) and the core region (1), wherein the outer region (3) surrounds the inner region (2). The invention proposes an internal structure (4) of the inner region (2) which effects a spatial overlap of modes of higher order with the core region (1), which is lower than the spatial overlap of a fundamental mode with the core region (1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2011
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Applicants: Friedrich-Schiller-Universitaet Jena, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: César Jauregui Misas, Fabian Stutzki, Jens Limpert, Florian Jansen, Andreas Tuennermann
  • Patent number: 8625644
    Abstract: The invention relates to a Q-switched laser comprised of a pump light source (1), an optical resonator accommodating a laser medium (6), and a passive Q-switch (5). It is the object of the present invention to provide an improved Q-switched laser which is of a simple and compact setup while having the least possible jitter of the repetition time. To achieve this target, the invention proposes that by means of a beam splitter (8) part of the light coupled out of the optical resonator is passed on to an optical delay line (9) and coupled back into the optical resonator upon having passed through the optical delay line (9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignees: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Forderung der Angewandten Forschung E.V., Friedrich-Schiller-Universitat Jena
    Inventors: Andreas Tünnermann, Dirk Nodop, Alexander Steinmetz, Jens Limpert
  • Publication number: 20140002893
    Abstract: The invention relates to a fiber amplifier system for amplifying and emitting pulsed radiation, having a master source (1) which emits pulsed output radiation, and at least one amplifier stage (4), which is arranged after the master source (1) in the direction of radiation, and which amplifies the output radiation. The aim of the invention is to provide a fiber amplifier system for amplifying and emitting pulsed radiation which avoids stimulated Brillouin scattering as effectively as possible and at the same time can be produced simply and inexpensively. To this end, the output radiation emitted by the master source (1) is broadband and is generated substantially by means of spontaneous emission.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2011
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Applicants: FRIEDRICH-SCHILLER-UNIVERSITAET JENA, FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V.
    Inventors: Dirk Nodop, Jens Limpert, Andreas Tuennermann
  • Publication number: 20140002890
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for generation of electromagnetic radiation, having a pump light source that emits an excitation radiation at a first wavelength, and having an optical waveguide that generates frequency-converted radiation at a second and a third wavelength, by means of degenerate wave mixing, from the excitation radiation of the pump light source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2011
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Applicants: FRIEDRICH-SCHILLER-UNIVERSITAET JENA, FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V.
    Inventors: César Jauregui Misas, Andreas Tuennermann, Jens Limpert, Dirk Nodop
  • Publication number: 20130235448
    Abstract: The invention relates to an optical amplifier arrangement for amplifying ultra-short pulsed laser radiation comprising a mode-locked laser (1) and two or more optical amplifiers (3) arranged downstream of the laser (1) in the propagation direction of the laser radiation. Optical amplifier arrangements of this type are known in the prior art. Here the intention is to present an alternative to the known amplifier arrangements. The invention proposes arranging between the laser (1) and the optical amplifiers (3) at least one splitting element (2) which splits the pulsed laser radiation between a plurality of amplifier channels (4), wherein each amplifier channel (4) has at least one optical amplifier (3), and wherein at least one common combination element (5) is disposed downstream of the amplifier channels (4) and coherently superimposes the pulsed laser radiation amplified in the amplifier channels (4).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2011
    Publication date: September 12, 2013
    Applicants: FRIEDRICH-SCHILLER-UNIVERSITAET JENA, FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V.
    Inventors: Arno Klenke, Enrico Seise, Jens Limpert, Andreas Tuennermann
  • Publication number: 20130083814
    Abstract: The invention relates to a laser system with a passively Q-switched laser 1, a spectrally widening element 3, and a compression element 4. Laser systems of this kind are utilized for generating ultra-short laser pulses. Systems, mode-coupled solid-state lasers known from prior art allow for generating laser pulses in the sub-10 ps range only with complicated and alignment-sensitive free-beam arrangements. Therefore, it is the object of the present invention to create a laser system that generates pulse durations of less than 10 ps and which is simple and compact to produce at the same time. In order to achieve this object, the present invention proposes that the passively Q-switched laser 1 is provided with a longitudinally monomode output radiation which is spectrally widened by means of the spectrally widening element 3 by self-phase modulation and is temporally compressed by the compression element 4.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2011
    Publication date: April 4, 2013
    Applicants: FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V., FRIEDRICH-SCHILLER-UNIVERSITAET JENA
    Inventors: Dirk Nodop, Alexander Steinmetz, Jens Limpert, Andreas Tuennermann
  • Publication number: 20120242973
    Abstract: The invention relates to a Q-switched laser comprised of a pump light source (1), an optical resonator accommodating a laser medium (6), and a passive Q-switch (5). It is the object of the present invention to provide an improved Q-switched laser which is of a simple and compact setup while having the least possible jitter of the repetition time. To achieve this target, the invention proposes that by means of a beam splitter (8) part of the light coupled out of the optical resonator is passed on to an optical delay line (9) and coupled back into the optical resonator upon having passed through the optical delay line (9).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2010
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Inventors: Andreas Tünnermann, Dirk Nodop, Alexander Steinmetz, Jens Limpert
  • Publication number: 20120237162
    Abstract: The invention relates to a transverse mode filter in an optical waveguide (3). The aim of the invention is to produce a transverse mode filter that permits a monolithic construction of a laser in a multi-mode waveguide. To achieve this, according to the invention the filter comprises a Fabry-Perot cavity integrated into the optical waveguide (3) and comprising two reflective elements (5) situated at a distance from one another. In addition, the waveguide (3) is modified in the region of the Fabry-Perot cavity and/or in the region of the reflective elements (5) in relation to the remaining regions of the waveguide with respect to the effective refractive index of at least one mode of the waveguide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2010
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Applicants: FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER ANGEWAN, FRIEDRICH-SCHILLER-UNIVERSITAET JENA
    Inventors: Jens Ulrich Thomas, Christian Voigtlaender, Stefan Nolte, César Jáuregui Misas, Fabian Stutzki, Jens Limpert, Andreas Tuennermann
  • Publication number: 20120229888
    Abstract: The invention relates to a laser device (1) for amplifying and/or transporting electromagnetic radiation, comprising a radiation source (2) for generating the electromagnetic radiation and an amplifier (4) for amplifying or a medium for transporting the generated electromagnetic radiation. In order to make available a device (1) for amplifying or transporting electromagnetic radiation that provides a very easy to implement possibility for reducing the influence of non-linear effects, the electromagnetic radiation propagating in the amplifier (4) or medium is largely non-linearly polarized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2010
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicants: FRIEDRICH-SCHILLER-UNIVERSITAET JENA, FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V.
    Inventors: Jens Limpert, Andreas Tuennermann, Damian Schimpf, Tino Eidam, Enrico Seise, Fabian Roeser
  • Patent number: 8238386
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a compact and low-cost system for generating ultra short high energy laser light pulses that does not use the known CPA scheme. The proposed approach is based on spectral filtering of laser light pulses of a mode locked laser source. The used mode locked laser source can be of any kind as long as its filtered residual pulse bandwidth supports pulse durations longer than 20 ps and up to 1 ns. After filtering the laser light pulses are directly amplified in an amplification element consisting of one or more amplification stages. At the same time or just after amplification the light pulses are spectrally broadened through a spectral broadening element, for example a fiber of suitably chosen core diameter and length to achieve a spectral bandwidth that is wide enough to support sub 10 ps pulses. Finally, the spectrally broadened laser light pulses are compressed by a compact dispersive element consisting of one or more Bragg gratings or a grating pair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Jens Limpert, Andreas Tuennermann