Patents by Inventor Andreas Tunnermann

Andreas Tunnermann 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).

  • Publication number: 20230094595
    Abstract: A device includes a plurality of imaging optical channels inclined in relation to one another, each of which includes an optic and at least one detector pixel arrangement. The plurality of optical channels are configured to obtain an image of a dot pattern of a field of view by imaging said field of view. The optical channels pass through the display plane and are set up for imaging (projecting) the field of view between the display pixels. The device includes an evaluator that is coupled to detector pixels of the detector pixel arrangements and configured to evaluate the dot pattern on the basis of a comparison, which causes hyper resolution, of signal intensities of different detector pixels so as to obtain an evaluation result, and to control the device at least partly on the basis of the evaluation result.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2022
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Inventors: Frank WIPPERMANN, Jacques DUPARRÉ, Andreas TÜNNERMANN
  • Patent number: 11579512
    Abstract: A device for generating laser pulses is provided, the device having an optical parametric oscillator converts the laser pulses of a pump laser to laser pulses at a signal wavelength and at an idler wavelength. The optical parametric oscillator has an optical resonator with a non-linear wavelength converter. It is an object of the invention to provide a device that makes efficient generation of synchronous laser pulse trains with two different central wavelengths possible. To this end, the invention proposes that the pump laser is tunable with respect to the pump wavelength and the repetition frequency, wherein the resonator has an optical fibre with a dispersion in the range of 10-100 ps/nm and a length of 10-1000 m. The invention furthermore relates to a method for generating laser pulses using such a device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Fraunhoefer-Gesellschaft zur Forderung der angewandten nForschung e.V.
    Inventors: Thomas Gottschall, Jens Limpert, Andreas Tünnermann
  • Publication number: 20220326431
    Abstract: The invention relates to an optical waveguide with two or more light-guiding cores (1a-1e) extending continuously along the longitudinal extension of the optical waveguide, parallel to one another and spaced apart from one another, from one end of the optical waveguide to the other, and with a first cladding (2) enclosing the cores (1a-1e). It is an object of the invention to provide a multicore optical waveguide for high-power operation with reduced system complexity compared to the prior art.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2020
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Applicants: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V., Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena
    Inventors: César JÁUREGUI MISAS, Jens LIMPERT, Andreas TÜNNERMANN
  • Patent number: 11381054
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for stably transmitting laser radiation through an optical waveguide (3), wherein two or more modes of the laser radiation propagating in the optical waveguide (3) interfere and form a mode interference pattern in the optical waveguide, as a result of which a thermally induced refractive index grating is produced in the optical waveguide (3). It is an object of the invention to demonstrate an effective approach for stabilizing the output signal of the optical waveguide (3) in a fiber-based laser/amplifier combination at high output powers, i.e. for avoiding mode instability. The invention achieves this object by virtue of the fact that a relative spatial phase shift between the mode interference pattern and the thermally induced refractive index grating is set in the direction of propagation of the laser radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignees: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V., Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena
    Inventors: Christoph Stihler, César Jáuregui Misas, Jens Limpert, Andreas Tünnermann
  • Patent number: 11211762
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for generating laser pulses. It is an object of the invention to provide a method for generating synchronized laser pulse trains at variable wavelengths (e.g., for coherent Raman spectroscopy/microscopy), wherein the switching time for switching between different wavelengths should be in the sub-?s range. For this purpose the apparatus according to the invention comprises a pump laser (1), which emits pulsed laser radiation at a specified wavelength, an FDML laser (3), which emits continuous wave laser radiation at a cyclically variable wavelength, and a nonlinear conversion medium (4), in which the pulsed laser radiation of the pump laser (1) and the continuous wave laser radiation of the FDML laser (3) are superposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignees: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V., Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Leibniz-Institut Für Photonische Technologien E.V.
    Inventors: Thomas Gottschall, Jens Limpert, Andreas Tünnermann, Tobias Meyer, Jürgen Popp
  • Publication number: 20210191230
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device (1) for generating laser pulses, comprising a pump laser (1), which emits laser pulses at a pump wavelength (12) with a repetition frequency, wherein the pulse duration of the laser pulses is 0.5-100 ps, and an optical parametric oscillator (3) that converts the laser pulses of the pump laser (1) at least partially to laser pulses at a signal wavelength (10) and at an idler wavelength (11), which differs from the former, wherein the optical parametric oscillator (3) has an optical resonator (20), comprising a non-linear wavelength converter (22), which converts the laser pulses of the pump laser (1) to laser pulses at the signal wavelength (10) and at the idler wavelength (11), and an output coupling element (24), which couples at least some of the radiation out of the optical resonator (20).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2017
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Applicants: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V., Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena
    Inventors: Thomas Gottschall, Jens Limpert, Andreas Tunnermann
  • Patent number: 11043783
    Abstract: The invention relates to an optical arrangement having a division element which divides an input beam consisting of a sequence of temporally equidistant light pulses into two spatially separate partial beams, at least one optical element through which at least one of the partial beams propagates, and at least one combination element which spatially superimposes the partial beams in an output beam. It is the object of the present invention to show a method for increasing the pulse energy of light pulses which is improved in comparison with the prior art. The invention solves this problem by virtue of the fact that the combination element superimposes a number of the temporally successive light pulses in a single light pulse in the output beam. The invention also relates to a method for increasing the pulse energy of light pulses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignees: Fraunhoer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V., Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena
    Inventors: Michael Müller, Marco Kienel, Arno Klenke, Jens Limpert, Andreas Tünnermann
  • Publication number: 20210091527
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for generating laser pulses. It is an object of the invention to provide a method for generating synchronized laser pulse trains at variable wavelengths (e.g., for coherent Raman spectroscopy/microscopy), wherein the switching time for switching between different wavelengths should be in the sub-?s range. For this purpose the apparatus according to the invention comprises a pump laser (1), which emits pulsed laser radiation at a specified wavelength, an FDML laser (3), which emits continuous wave laser radiation at a cyclically variable wavelength, and a nonlinear conversion medium (4), in which the pulsed laser radiation of the pump laser (1) and the continuous wave laser radiation of the FDML laser (3) are superposed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2018
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Applicants: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Angewandten Forschung E.V., Friedrich-Schiller-Universitat Jena, Leibniz-lnstitut Für Photonische Technologien E.V.
    Inventors: Thomas GOTTSCHALL, Jens LIMPERT, Andreas TÜNNERMANN, Tobias MEYER, Jürgen POPP
  • Publication number: 20200153190
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for stably transmitting laser radiation through an optical waveguide (3), wherein two or more modes of the laser radiation propagating in the optical waveguide (3) interfere and form a mode interference pattern in the optical waveguide, as a result of which a thermally induced refractive index grating is produced in the optical waveguide (3). It is an object of the invention to demonstrate an effective approach for stabilizing the output signal of the optical waveguide (3) in a fiber-based laser/amplifier combination at high output powers, i.e. for avoiding mode instability. The invention achieves this object by virtue of the fact that a relative spatial phase shift between the mode interference pattern and the thermally induced refractive index grating is set in the direction of propagation of the laser radiation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2018
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Applicants: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Angewandten Forschung E.V., Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena
    Inventors: Christoph STIHLER, César JÁUREGUI MISAS, Jens LIMPERT, Andreas TÜNNERMANN
  • Patent number: 10340655
    Abstract: The invention relates to an optical waveguide (3) as a laser medium or as a gain medium for high-power operation, wherein the optical waveguide (3) is an optical fiber, the light-guiding core of which, at least in sections, is doped with rare earth ions. It is an object of the invention to provide an optical waveguide as a laser or a gain medium, and a laser/amplifier combination realized therewith, in which the output signal of the laser or gain medium is better stabilized. The invention achieves this object by virtue of the maximum small signal gain of the optical waveguide (1) being up to 60 dB, preferably up to 50 dB, more preferably up to 40 dB, even more preferably up to 30 dB, on account of the concentration of the rare earth ions and/or the distribution thereof in the light-guiding core. Moreover, the invention relates to the use of such an optical waveguide as an amplifier fiber (3) in a laser/amplifier combination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignees: FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FÖRDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V., FRIEDRICH-SCHILLER-UNIVERSITÄT
    Inventors: Hans Jurgen Otto, Cesar Jauregui Misas, Jens Limpert, Andreas Tunnermann
  • Patent number: 10281647
    Abstract: The invention relates to an optical waveguide with at least one core region (1) extending along the longitudinal extent of the optical waveguide, and with a first jacket (2) which, viewed in the cross section of the optical waveguide, surrounds the core region (1). The invention further relates to an optical arrangement with such an optical waveguide, and to a method for producing the optical waveguide. The object of the invention is to make available an optical waveguide for high-performance operation, which is improved in relation to the prior art in terms of mode instability. The invention achieves this object by virtue of the fact that the optical waveguide consists of crystalline material at least in the core region (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignees: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Forderung der angewandten Forschung e.V., Friedrich-Schiller-Universitat Jena
    Inventors: Cesar Jauregui Misas, Andreas Tunnermann, Jens Limpert, Christian Gaida
  • Publication number: 20190013637
    Abstract: The invention relates to an optical arrangement having a division element which divides an input beam consisting of a sequence of temporally equidistant light pulses into two spatially separate partial beams, at least one optical element through which at least one of the partial beams propagates, and at least one combination element which spatially superimposes the partial beams in an output beam. It is the object of the present invention to show a method for increasing the pulse energy of light pulses which is improved in comparison with the prior art. The invention solves this problem by virtue of the fact that the combination element superimposes a number of the temporally successive light pulses in a single light pulse in the output beam. The invention also relates to a method for increasing the pulse energy of light pulses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2016
    Publication date: January 10, 2019
    Inventors: Michael MÜLLER, Marco KIENEL, Arno KLENKE, Jens LIMPERT, Andreas TÜNNERMANN
  • Patent number: 9941653
    Abstract: The invention relates to an optical array comprising a splitting element (1) which splits an input beam (E) into at least two partial beams (T1, T2, T3, T4), at least one optical element (V1, V2, V3, V4, MV) through which at least one of the partial beams (T1, T2, T3, T4) propagates, and at least one combining element (4) which spatially superimposes the partial beams (T1, T2, T3, T4) in one output beam (A). The object of the invention is to provide an optical array which is improved over the prior art and which permits effective and simple splitting of the input light beam, in particular a laser beam with pulsed or continuous emission. The invention achieves this object in that the splitting element (1) and/or the combining element (4) each have a partially reflective element (2, 2?) which reflects the radiation of the input beam (E) or of the output beam (A) two or more times, wherein the partially reflective element (2, 2?) has zones (a, b, c, d) of different reflectivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignees: FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FÖRDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V., FRIEDRICH-SCHILLER-UNIVERSITÄT JENA
    Inventors: Arno Klenke, Jens Limpert, Hans-Jurgen Otto, Andreas Tunnermann
  • Publication number: 20180034234
    Abstract: The invention relates to an optical waveguide (3) as a laser medium or as a gain medium for high-power operation, wherein the optical waveguide (3) is an optical fiber, the light-guiding core of which, at least in sections, is doped with rare earth ions. It is an object of the invention to provide an optical waveguide as a laser or a gain medium, and a laser/amplifier combination realized therewith, in which the output signal of the laser or gain medium is better stabilized. The invention achieves this object by virtue of the maximum small signal gain of the optical waveguide (1) being up to 60 dB, preferably up to 50 dB, more preferably up to 40 dB, even more preferably up to 30 dB, on account of the concentration of the rare earth ions and/or the distribution thereof in the light-guiding core. Moreover, the invention relates to the use of such an optical waveguide as an amplifier fiber (3) in a laser/amplifier combination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2015
    Publication date: February 1, 2018
    Applicants: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Zur Förderung Der Angewandten Forschung E.V., Friedrich-Schiller-Universität
    Inventors: Hans Jürgen OTTO, César JAUREGUI MISAS, Jens LIMPERT, Andreas TÜNNERMANN
  • Patent number: 9880446
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus (1) for producing short synchronous radiation pulses at different wavelengths, particularly to an optically parametric oscillator, comprising at least one pump radiation source (2), preferably a pump laser, for outputting radiation at a pump wavelength, and a resonator (3) having a wavelength-dependent effective resonator length, wherein the resonator (3) has a non-linear wavelength converter (4) for producing radiation at a first and a second wavelength; a dispersive element (5) having a strong wavelength-dependent delay characteristic; and a coupling-out element (6) for at least partially coupling-out the radiation from the resonator (3). In addition, the invention relates to a method for producing short radiation pulses by means of an apparatus (1), particularly an optically parametric oscillator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignees: FRIEDRICH-SCHILLER-UNIVERSITAT JENA, FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V.
    Inventors: Thomas Gottschall, Jens Limpert, Andreas Tunnermann, Martin Baumgartl
  • Publication number: 20170302047
    Abstract: The invention relates to an optical waveguide with at least one core region (1) extending along the longitudinal extent of the optical waveguide, and with a first jacket (2) which, viewed in the cross section of the optical waveguide, surrounds the core region (1). The invention further relates to an optical arrangement with such an optical waveguide, and to a method for producing the optical waveguide. The object of the invention is to make available an optical waveguide for high-performance operation, which is improved in relation to the prior art in terms of mode instability. The invention achieves this object by virtue of the fact that the optical waveguide consists of crystalline material at least in the core region (1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2015
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Applicants: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Forderung der angewandten Forschung e.V., Friedrich-Schiller-Universitat Jena
    Inventors: Cesar Jauregui Misas, Andreas Tunnermann, Jens Limpert, Christian Gaida
  • Publication number: 20170179666
    Abstract: The invention relates to an optical array comprising a splitting element (1) which splits an input beam (E) into at least two partial beams (T1, T2, T3, T4), at least one optical element (V1, V2, V3, V4, MV) through which at least one of the partial beams (T1, T2, T3, T4) propagates, and at least one combining element (4) which spatially superimposes the partial beams (T1, T2, T3, T4) in one output beam (A). The object of the invention is to provide an optical array which is improved over the prior art and which permits effective and simple splitting of the input light beam, in particular a laser beam with pulsed or continuous emission. The invention achieves this object in that the splitting element (1) and/or the combining element (4) each have a partially reflective element (2, 2?) which reflects the radiation of the input beam (E) or of the output beam (A) two or more times, wherein the partially reflective element (2, 2?) has zones (a, b, c, d) of different reflectivity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2015
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Applicants: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Forderung der angewandten Forschung e.V., Friedrich-Schiller-Universitat Jena
    Inventors: Arno Klenke, Jens Limpert, Hans-Jurgen Otto, Andreas Tunnermann
  • Publication number: 20160320687
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus (1) for producing short synchronous radiation pulses at different wavelengths, particularly to an optically parametric oscillator, comprising at least one pump radiation source (2), preferably a pump laser, for outputting radiation at a pump wavelength, and a resonator (3) having a wavelength-dependent effective resonator length, wherein the resonator (3) has a non-linear wavelength converter (4) for producing radiation at a first and a second wavelength; a dispersive element (5) having a strong wavelength-dependent delay characteristic; and a coupling-out element (6) for at least partially coupling-out the radiation from the resonator (3). In addition, the invention relates to a method for producing short radiation pulses by means of an apparatus (1), particularly an optically parametric oscillator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2014
    Publication date: November 3, 2016
    Applicants: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Forderung der angewand ten Forschung e.V., Friedrich-Schiller-Universitat Jena
    Inventors: Thomas Gottschall, Jens Limpert, Andreas Tunnermann, Martin Baumgartl
  • Patent number: 9235106
    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: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignees: 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
  • 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