Patents by Inventor DEBORAH LEE
DEBORAH LEE 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).
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Patent number: 6563852Abstract: A self-mode-locking (SML) mid-infrared (5 and 8 &mgr;m) quantum cascade laser is formed that comprises both a relatively thin dielectric insulating layer (i.e., less than one-half micron in thickness) overlaid with an optically highly lossy (i.e., absorbing) layer, with a relatively long (approximately 3.5 mm) optical waveguide. Evidence of mode-locking is obtained from the measured optical spectra and corresponding interferograms, as well as from the rf spectra of the photocurrent detected with a fast quantum-well infrared photodetector. An estimate for the pulse width of approximately 3 psec is inferred from these data.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 2000Date of Patent: May 13, 2003Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.Inventors: James Nelson Baillargeon, Federico Capasso, Alfred Yi Cho, Claire F. Gmachl, Albert Lee Hutchinson, Roberto Paiella, Deborah Lee Sivco
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Patent number: 6556604Abstract: The RT regions of an ISB light emitter comprise pre-biased SLs and a multiplicity of split quantum wells (SPQWs). A SPQW is a quantum well that is divided into a multiplicity of sub-wells by a first barrier layer sufficiently thin that the upper and lower energy states are split beyond their natural broadening and contribute to different minibands in each RT region. In contrast, adjacent SPQWs are coupled to one another by second barrier layers. The thicknesses of the latter layers are chosen so that minibands are created across each RT region. In one embodiment, the emitter includes an I/R region between adjacent RT regions, and in another embodiment the I/R regions are omitted.Type: GrantFiled: November 8, 2000Date of Patent: April 29, 2003Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.Inventors: Federico Capasso, Alfred Yi Cho, Sung-Nee George Chu, Claire F. Gmachl, Albert Lee Hutchinson, Arthur Mike Sergent, Deborah Lee Sivco, Alessandro Tredicucci, Michael Clement Wanke
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Patent number: 6501783Abstract: A surface plasmon laser structure is formed to include a DFB structure as the metal carrying layer, thus forming a single mode surface plasmon laser. The DFB structure comprises a multiple layer metallic surface guiding structure (for example, titanium stripes covered with a layer of gold. forming alternating Ti/Au—Au stripes). The active region, in one embodiment, may comprise a quantum cascade structure.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 2000Date of Patent: December 31, 2002Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.Inventors: Federico Capasso, Alfred Yi Cho, Claire F. Gmachl, Albert Lee Hutchinson, Deborah Lee Sivco, Alessandro Tredicucci
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Publication number: 20020191658Abstract: An optical device includes a stack of at least two different intersubband (ISB) optical sub-devices in which the gain/loss profiles of the individual ISB sub-devices are mutually adapted, or engineered, so as to generate a predetermined overall function for the combination. We define this combination device as being heterogeneous since not all of the individual ISB sub-devices are identical to one another. Illustratively, the parameters of each individual ISB sub-device that might be subject to this engineering process include: the peak energy of the ISB optical transitions (emission or absorption) associated with each RT region, the position of each sub-device in the stack; the oscillator strengths of these ISB transitions; the energy bandwidth of each transition; and the total length of the RT and I/R regions of each ISB sub-device.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 18, 2001Publication date: December 19, 2002Inventors: Federico Capasso, Alfred Yi Cho, Raffaele Colombelli, Claire F. Gmachl, Hock Min Ng, Deborah Lee Sivco
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Publication number: 20020146049Abstract: The measurement of intersubband electroluminescence (ISB-EL) in unipolar quantum cascade lasers is achieved by forming a longitudinal cleave through the active region and waveguide of the QC laser device, exposing a complete side face of the device, including the active region. The conventional laser facets at the entrance and exit of the active region are coated with a highly reflective material and the emission from the exposed side face is measured. In theory, the sideface emission would comprise only the ISB-EL spontaneous emission, but some additional laser emission (due to scattering in the imperfect waveguide structure) also exits along this sideface. Spatial filtering and/or polarization monitoring can be used to differentiate the laser emission from the ISB-EL spontaneous emission.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 4, 2001Publication date: October 10, 2002Inventors: Federico Capasso, Alfred Yi Cho, Raffaele Colombelli, Claire F. Gmachl, Albert Lee Hutchinson, Arthur Mike Sergent, Deborah Lee Sivco, Alessandro Tredicucci
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Patent number: 6463088Abstract: In a mesa geometry semiconductor laser, a patterned dielectric coating used to define the stripe geometry contact on the top the mesa and to provide significant waveguiding comprises a chalcogenide glass. Applications to intersubband (e.g., quantum cascade) lasers are specifically described.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2000Date of Patent: October 8, 2002Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.Inventors: James Nelson Baillargeon, Federico Capasso, Alfred Yi Cho, Claire Gmachl, Albert Lee Hutchinson, Harold Yoonsung Hwang, Roberto Paiella, Arthur Mike Sergent, Deborah Lee Sivco, Alessandro Tredicucci
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Publication number: 20020136252Abstract: An optical gain medium has first and second active layers and an injector layer interposed between the first and second active layers. The active layers have upper minibands and lower minibands. The injector layer has a miniband that transports charge carriers from the lower miniband of the first active layer to an excited state in the upper miniband of the second active layer in response to application of a voltage across the optical gain medium.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 21, 2002Publication date: September 26, 2002Inventors: Federico Capasso, Alfred Yi Cho, Albert Lee Hutchinson, Gaetano Scamarcio, Deborah Lee Sivco, Mariano Troccoli
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Publication number: 20020097471Abstract: A process for optically transmitting data to a remote receiver includes receiving a stream of input data signals and modulating a mid-IR laser by direct modulation with a waveform whose sequential values are responsive of the data signals of the stream. The direct modulation includes pumping the mid-IR laser to produce high and low optical power levels in response to different ones of the values. The process also includes transmitting output light from the modulated mid-IR laser to the remote receiver via a free space communications channel.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 29, 2001Publication date: July 25, 2002Inventors: Clyde George Bethea, Federico Capasso, Alfred Yi Cho, Claire F. Gmachi, Albert Lee Hutchinson, Rainer Martini, Roberto Paiella, Deborah Lee Sivco, Alessandro Tredicucci, Edward Anthony Whittaker
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Patent number: 6400744Abstract: An article comprising a QC-DFB laser is disclosed. In the QC-DFB laser, an overlying grating structure achieves relatively strong coupling of the guided mode to the grating, and is thus highly effective in inducing single-mode operation even under cw operating conditions. The grating structure includes grooves etched in a plasmon-enhanced confinement layer (PECL) disposed adjacent and in contact with an upper metallic electrode. The grating structure and the PECL are designed such that in the grooves, the laser mode travelling in the waveguide can couple efficiently to the surface-plasmon at the electrode interface. This results in strong modulation of the laser mode, leading to strong modulation of, inter alia, the effective refractive index.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 2000Date of Patent: June 4, 2002Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Federico Capasso, Alfred Yi Cho, Sung-Nee George Chu, Claire F. Gmachi, Ruedeger Koehler, Deborah Lee Sivco, Alessandro Tredicucci
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Patent number: 6343811Abstract: A rollover cushion and system for a motor vehicle is fabricated from a lightweight, low denier material having its inside surface coated with a gas retention material. A gas generator responsive to a sensor generates an inflation fluid that fills the sealed curtain causing the curtain to deploy over the side windows of the vehicle. In this position, the head and upper torso of an occupant are protected from striking or going through an open window during a rollover or side impact collision. Several styles of tethers are used to maintain the desired shape of the cushion. A manifold system directs the flow of the inflation fluid from the gas generator to the gas inlets in each individual cylindrical tube of the curtain. The cushion is folded either in a “Z” fold or in a tuck fold and at one end fastened to the structure of the vehicle and at the other end extending in a direction down the window.Type: GrantFiled: May 26, 2000Date of Patent: February 5, 2002Assignee: The B. F. Goodrich CompanyInventors: David R. Hammer, Deborah Lee Kalisz
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Patent number: 6333944Abstract: A solid state laser comprises a cavity resonator in the form of a generally cylindrical body and, located within the resonator, an active region which generates lasing light when suitably pumped. The resonator has a relatively high effective refractive index (n>2 and typically n>3) is sufficiently deformed from circularity so as to support at least one librational mode (e.g., a V-shaped or a bow-tie mode, the latter being presently preferred for generating relatively high power, directional outputs). Specifically described is a Group III-V compound semiconductor, quantum cascade (QC), micro-cylinder laser in which the resonator has a flattened quadrupolar deformation from circularity. This laser exhibits both a highly directional output emission and a three-order of magnitude increase in optical output power compared to conventional semiconductor micro-cylinder QC lasers having circularly symmetric resonators.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 2000Date of Patent: December 25, 2001Assignee: Yale UniversityInventors: Federico Capasso, Alfred Yi Cho, Claire F. Gmachl, Deborah Lee Sivco, Evgueni E. Narimanov, Alfred Douglas Stone
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Patent number: 6326646Abstract: A mounting technology that increases the cw operating temperature of intersubband lasers, without increasing the risk of hot spots near the facets and short circuits near the perimeter of the laser chip, is described.Type: GrantFiled: November 24, 1999Date of Patent: December 4, 2001Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc.Inventors: James Nelson Baillargeon, Federico Capasso, Alfred Yi Cho, George Sung-Nee Chu, Claire Gmachl, Albert Lee Hutchinson, Arthur Mike Sergent, Deborah Lee Sivco, Alessandro Tredicucci
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Patent number: 6324199Abstract: An intersubband semiconductor light source comprises a core region that includes a unipolar, radiative transition (RT) region having upper and lower energy levels, an injector-only (I) region disposed on one side of the RT region, and a reflector/extractor-only (R/E) region disposed on the other side of the RT region. The I region has a first miniband of energy levels aligned so as to inject electrons into the upper energy level, and the R/E region has a second miniband of energy levels aligned so as to extract electrons from the lower energy level. The R/E region also has a minigap aligned so as to inhibit the extraction of electrons from the upper level. A suitable voltage applied across the core region is effective to cause the RT region to generate light at a wavelength determined by the energy difference between the upper and lower energy levels. Low voltage operation at less than 3 V is described.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 1998Date of Patent: November 27, 2001Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.Inventors: Federico Capasso, Alfred Yi Cho, Sung-Nee George Chu, Claire F. Gmachl, Albert Lee Hutchinson, Deborah Lee Sivco, Alessandro Tredicucci
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Patent number: 6301282Abstract: A long wavelength (e.g., mid-IR to far-IR) semiconductor laser comprises an active region and at least one cladding region characterized in that the cladding region includes a light guiding interface between two materials which have dielectric constants opposite in sign. Consequently, the guided modes are transverse magnetic polarized surface waves (i.e., surface plasmons) which propagate along the interface without the need for a traditional dielectric cladding. In a preferred embodiment, the interface is formed between a semiconductor layer and a metal layer. The complex refractive index of the metal layer preferably has an imaginary component which is much larger than its real component. In an illustrative embodiment, our laser includes a QC active region sandwiched between a pair of cladding regions one of which is a guiding interface based on surface plasmons and the other of which is a dielectric (e.g., semiconductor) structure.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 1998Date of Patent: October 9, 2001Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.Inventors: Federico Capasso, Alfred Yi Cho, Claire F. Gmachl, Albert Lee Hutchinson, Deborah Lee Sivco, Jerome Faist, Carlo Sirtori
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Patent number: 6278134Abstract: A bi-directional semiconductor light source is formed that provides emission in response to either a positive or negative bias voltage. In a preferred embodiment with an asymmetric injector region in a cascade structure, the device will emit at a first wavelength (&lgr;−) under a negative bias and a second wavelength (&lgr;+) under a positive bias. In other embodiments, the utilization of an asymmetric injector region can be used to provide a light source with two different power levels, or operating voltages, as a function of the bias polarity.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 1999Date of Patent: August 21, 2001Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Federico Capasso, Alfred Yi Cho, Claire F. Gmachl, Albert Lee Hutchinson, Deborah Lee Sivco, Alessandro Tredicucci
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Patent number: 6148012Abstract: A multiple wavelength quantum cascade (QC) superlattice (SL) light source has at least three energy levels in each radiative transition (RT) region, and electron transitions between the levels give rise to emission lines at different wavelengths. In one embodiment, a lower miniband has at least a first energy level and an upper miniband has at least third and fourth energy levels. In another embodiment, the lower miniband has first and second energy levels. In both cases, electron transitions between a first pair of the upper and lower levels generates light at a first spontaneous emission line having a center wavelength .lambda..sub.1 and a line broadening first energy, and electron transitions between a second pair of the upper and lower levels generates light at a second spontaneous emission line having a center wavelength .lambda..sub.2 and a line broadening second energy.Type: GrantFiled: October 21, 1998Date of Patent: November 14, 2000Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.Inventors: Federico Capasso, Alfred Yi Cho, Claire F. Gmachl, Albert Lee Hutchinson, Deborah Lee Sivco, Alessandro Tredicucci
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Patent number: 6144681Abstract: The quantum cascade (QC) photon source according to this invention can emit simultaneously at two distinct wavelengths, typically both in the mid-infrared. This is accomplished through provision of a semiconductor layer structure in which, at the proper bias voltage, electrons are injected into an energy level E.sub.3 and then forced to cascade through an intermediate level E.sub.2 before reaching the ground state E.sub.1 of the active region. In the process, photons of energy E.sub.3 -E.sub.2 (wavelength .lambda..sub.1) and E.sub.2 -E.sub.1 (wavelength .lambda..sub.2) are emitted. Dual wavelength photon sources according to this invention can be used in a variety of ways, e.g., to determine the absorption of a gaseous sample at wavelengths .lambda..sub.1 and .lambda..sub.2, exemplarily to determine the concentration of a particular chemical compound in the sample.Type: GrantFiled: March 2, 1998Date of Patent: November 7, 2000Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.Inventors: Federico Capasso, Alfred Yi Cho, Jerome Faist, Albert Lee Hutchinson, Carlo Sirtori, Deborah Lee Sivco, Alessandro Tredicucci
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Patent number: 6137817Abstract: A novel quantum cascade (QC) laser comprises a multiplicity of identical repeat units, with each repeat unit comprising an active region and an injector region. The injector region comprises quantum wells and barriers, selected to facilitate, under appropriate bias, resonant carrier transport from a lower energy level of a given active region to an upper energy level of an adjacent downstream active region. Carrier transition from the upper energy level to a lower energy level of an active region results in emission of infrared radiation. The laser is advantageously used in, e.g., a measurement system for detection of trace compounds in air.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 1998Date of Patent: October 24, 2000Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.Inventors: James Nelson Baillargeon, Federico Capasso, Alfred Yi Cho, Claire F. Gmachl, Albert Lee Hutchinson, Deborah Lee Sivco, Alessandro Tredicucci
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Patent number: 6134257Abstract: A solid state laser comprises a cavity resonator in the form of a generally cylindrical body and, located within the resonator, an active region which generates lasing light when suitably pumped. The resonator has a relatively high effective refractive index (n>2 and typically n>3) is sufficiently deformed from circularity so as to support at least one librational mode (e.g., a V-shaped or a bow-tie mode, the latter being presently preferred for generating relatively high power, directional outputs). Specifically described is a Group III-V compound semiconductor, quantum cascade (QC), micro-cylinder laser in which the resonator has a flattened quadrupolar deformation from circularity. This laser exhibits both a highly directional output emission and a three-order of magnitude increase in optical output power compared to conventional semiconductor micro-cylinder QC lasers having circularly symmetric resonators.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 1998Date of Patent: October 17, 2000Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.Inventors: Federico Capasso, Alfred Yi Cho, Jerome Faist, Claire F. Gmachl, Deborah Lee Sivco, Evgueni E. Narimanov, Alfred Douglas Stone, Jens Uwe Noeckel
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Patent number: 6091753Abstract: A novel superlattice quantum cascade (SLQC) laser has undoped SL active regions, with the dopant concentration in the injector region being selected, such that, under an appropriate electrical bias, the SL active region is substantially electric field free. The absence of dopant atoms in the SL active region results in reduced carrier scattering and reduced optical losses, with consequent low threshold current and/or room temperature operation. The novel laser emits in the mid-IR spectral region and can be advantageously used in measurement or monitoring systems, e.g., in pollution monitoring systems.Type: GrantFiled: May 1, 1998Date of Patent: July 18, 2000Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.Inventors: Federico Capasso, Alfred Yi Cho, Jerome Faist, Claire F. Gmachl, Albert Lee Hutchinson, Deborah Lee Sivco, Alessandro Tredicucci