Abstract: An acousto-optic system may include a laser source, and an AOM coupled to the laser source and having an acousto-optic medium and transducer electrodes carried by the medium. The acousto-optic system may also include an interface board with a dielectric layer and signal contacts carried by the dielectric layer, and connections coupling respective signal contacts with respective transducer electrodes. Each connection may include a dielectric protrusion extending from the AOM, and an electrically conductive layer on the dielectric protrusion for coupling a respective transducer electrode to a respective signal contact.

Abstract: A system may include a laser source, and an AOM coupled to the laser source. The AOM may include an acousto-optic medium, and transducer electrodes carried by the acousto-optic medium. The system may also include an interface board having a dielectric layer, and vertically extending signal vias within the dielectric layer. Each vertically extending signal via may have a lower end in contact with a respective transducer electrode. The interface board may have laterally extending signal traces carried by the dielectric layer. Each laterally extending signal trace may be in contact with an upper end of a respective vertically extending signal via.

Abstract: An optical system may include a target, a laser source, and an optical lens assembly. The optical lens assembly may include a mounting flange mounted adjacent the laser source, an objective lens aligned between the laser source and the target, and at least one adjustment stage coupled between the mounting flange and the objective lens. The adjustment stage may include a ball joint having a ball joint body, a ball receiver tube, and adjustable fasteners coupling the ball joint body to the ball receiver tube. The adjustment stage may include a translation tube having ramps thereon, and adjustable fasteners coupled between the mounting flange and the translation tube. In addition, the adjustment stage may include the mounting flange having a threaded surface thereon, and a focus ring rotatably coupled to the threaded surface of the mounting flange.

Abstract: The optical system includes a base having a groove and an adjacent slot therein. The system also includes at least one optical cell slidably alignable along the groove, and at least one clamp comprising a lower end and an upper end. The lower end is slidably alignable along the slot and is secured at a set location so that the upper end secures the at least one optical cell along the groove. The slot may extend parallel to the groove. The clamp may include at least one preloaded fastener arrangement securing the lower end of the clamp to the base. The preloaded fastener may include a bolt, a spring biasing the bolt, and a threaded backing plate within the slot and receiving the bolt.

Abstract: A system may include a laser source configured to generate a first laser light beam, an atom trap, and a multi-channel acousto-optic modulator (AOM). The multi-channel AOM may include a beamsplitter to split the first laser light beam into a plurality of second laser light beams for the atom trap, a common acousto-optic medium configured to receive the plurality of second laser light beams, and a respective plurality of electrodes coupled to the common acousto-optic medium for each of the second laser light beams. The system may also include a plurality of radio frequency (RF) drivers each configured to generate respective RF drive signals for each of the plurality of electrodes.

Abstract: Systems and methods for tailoring fluid and energy interaction through surface texturing. The methods comprise: receiving behavior input data specifying known or modeled interactions between a material and pre-solved solution surfaces, discrete input data specifying parameters of a surface to be textured, and continuous input data specifying ranges of values for environmental characteristics that the surface is to be subjected to during use; transforming the behavior input data into a composite response surface comprising a weighted combination of the pre-solved solution surfaces generated based on the discrete input data and the continuous input data; determining an optimized surface texture for the surface based on the composite response surface and desired behavior data specifying a desired interaction between the material and the surface to be textured; and outputting the optimized surface texture (e.g., to a surface texturing machine) so that the optimized surface texture is applied to the surface.

Abstract: A portable medical apparatus for supporting a patient's arm having a top surface, a bottom surface, a peripheral surface, and an outer layer. The top surface has a front edge and a back edge opposite the front edge. The top surface defines a concave depression that extends into the top surface and slopes downward from the back edge to the front edge. The bottom surface is opposite the top surface. The peripheral surface connects the top surface to the bottom surface. The outer layer is connected to a portion of the peripheral surface and defines a pocket between the outer layer and the portion of the peripheral surface. The pocket has an opening adjacent to the top surface.

Abstract: A method for making an optical fiber device may include using a three-dimensional (3D) printer to generate a preform body including an optical material. The preform body may have a 3D pattern of voids therein defining a 3D lattice. The method may further include drawing the preform body to form the optical fiber device.

Abstract: A system may include a laser source, an acousto-optic modulator (AOM) coupled to the laser source, an atom trap, and at least one optical medium coupled between the AOM and the atom trap. Furthermore, at least one piezoelectric transducer may be coupled to the at least one optical medium, and a beam polarization controller may be coupled to the at least one piezoelectric transducer.

Abstract: A system may include a laser source, an acousto-optic modulator (AOM) coupled to the laser source, an atom trap, and an optical body coupled between the AOM and the atom trap and having a plurality of spaced apart optical signal channels etched therein. At least one piezoelectric transducer may be coupled to each of the optical signal channels, and a beam polarization controller may be coupled to the piezoelectric transducers.

Abstract: A method for making an optical fiber device may include using a three-dimensional (3D) printer to generate a preform body including an optical material. The preform body may have a 3D pattern of voids therein defining a 3D lattice. The method may further include drawing the preform body to form the optical fiber device.

Abstract: A portable medical apparatus for supporting a patient's arm having a top surface, a bottom surface, a peripheral surface, and an outer layer. The top surface has a front edge and a back edge opposite the front edge. The top surface defines a concave depression that extends into the top surface and slopes downward from the back edge to the front edge. The bottom surface is opposite the top surface. The peripheral surface connects the top surface to the bottom surface. The outer layer is connected to a portion of the peripheral surface and defines a pocket between the outer layer and the portion of the peripheral surface. The pocket has an opening adjacent to the top surface.

Abstract: A method may include generating a laser light beam, stabilizing the laser light beam using a beam stabilizer, splitting the laser light beam using a first beamsplitter into a first front side laser light beam and a back side laser light beam for a back side of an ion trap, directing the front side laser light beam to a second beamsplitter using an input telescope, and splitting the first front side laser light beam using the second beamsplitter into second front side laser light beams. The method may further include receiving the front side laser light beams at a common acousto-optic medium, generating respective RF drive signals for electrodes coupled to the common acousto-optic medium for each of the second front side laser light beams using RF drivers, and directing the second front side laser light beams to a front side of the ion trap using an output telescope.

Abstract: A laser system may include a laser source configured to generate a first laser light beam, a beam stabilizer downstream from the laser source and configured to stabilize the first laser light beam, and a beamsplitter downstream from the beam stabilizer and configured to split the stabilized first laser light beam into a plurality of second laser light beams. The system may further include a multi-channel acousto-optic modulator (AOM) including a common acousto-optic medium configured to receive the plurality of second laser light beams, and a respective phase array transducer comprising a plurality of electrodes coupled to the common acousto-optic medium for each of the second laser light beams. The system may further include a plurality of radio frequency (RF) drivers each configured to generate respective RF drive signals for the phased array transducer electrodes.

Abstract: A communications system may include a first active circuit device and a waveguide coupled to the first active circuit device. The waveguide may include a plurality of passive optical devices spaced apart from one another and arranged along an optical path, and an interconnect structure interconnecting the passive optical devices and integrally formed as a unitary body with the passive optical devices. Furthermore, the interconnect structure may have an opening therethrough aligned with the optical path.

Abstract: A laser system may include a laser source configured to generate a laser light beam, a beam stabilizer downstream from the laser light source, and an acousto-optic modulator (AOM). The AOM may include an acousto-optic medium configured to receive the laser light beam, and a phased array transducer including a plurality of electrodes coupled to the acousto-optic medium and configured to cause the acousto-optic medium to output a zero order laser light beam and a first order diffracted laser light beam. The system may further include a photodetector configured to receive a sampled laser light beam split from the zero order beam and generate a feedback signal associated therewith, and an RF driver configured to generate an RF drive signal to the phased array transducer electrodes so that noise is diverted to the first order diffracted laser light beam based upon the feedback signal.

Abstract: A method for making a metal isolator body to be positioned between a heat sensitive component and a heat source includes obtaining at least a thermal conductivity specification and a load specification for the metal isolator body, and generating a metal isolator body design including solid regions and lattice regions to meet at least the thermal conductivity specification and the load specification. Three dimensional (3D) metal printing is used to form the metal isolator body based upon the metal isolator body design.

Abstract: A method for making an optical fiber device may include using a three-dimensional (3D) printer to generate a preform body including an optical material. The preform body may have a 3D pattern of voids therein defining a 3D lattice. The method may further include drawing the preform body to form the optical fiber device.

Abstract: Embodiments are described for receiving first data related to an amount of a first component in a multi-component liquid. A gain may be determined based on the first data. The multi-component liquid may be separated into at least two components. The gain may then be used to control a position of an interface between two separated components of the multi-component liquid, such as by using the gain in changing a speed of a pump pumping at least one of the components.

Abstract: A communications system may include a first active circuit device and a waveguide coupled to the first active circuit device. The waveguide may include a plurality of passive optical devices spaced apart from one another and arranged along an optical path, and an interconnect structure interconnecting the passive optical devices and integrally formed as a unitary body with the passive optical devices. Furthermore, the interconnect structure may have an opening therethrough aligned with the optical path.