Patents by Inventor Jason D. Henrie

Jason D. Henrie 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: 9214781
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for suppressing modal instabilities (MI) in fiber-amplifier systems. In some embodiments, thermal effects drive the MI process, and in some such embodiments, the present invention provides a plurality of options for mitigating these thermal effects. In some embodiments, the present invention provides a hybrid fiber with a smaller core in the initial length where the thermal loads are highest, followed by a larger-core fiber. In some embodiments the length of the smaller-core section is chosen to keep the core heat-per-unit-length of the second section below a critical value for the onset of MI. In some embodiments, the hybrid fiber of the present invention avoids modal instabilities while yielding almost the same performance as compared to conventional fibers with regard to minimizing fiber nonlinearities such as Stimulated Brillouin Scattering (SBS). In some embodiments, the hybrid fiber outputs a signal beam with at least 1 kW of power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Eric C. Honea, Matthias P. Savage-Leuchs, Sean M. Courtney, Khushvinder S. Brar, Jason D. Henrie, Christian D. Dilley
  • Publication number: 20150138630
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for suppressing modal instabilities (MI) in fiber-amplifier systems. In some embodiments, thermal effects drive the MI process, and in some such embodiments, the present invention provides a plurality of options for mitigating these thermal effects. In some embodiments, the present invention provides a hybrid fiber with a smaller core in the initial length where the thermal loads are highest, followed by a larger-core fiber. In some embodiments the length of the smaller-core section is chosen to keep the core heat-per-unit-length of the second section below a critical value for the onset of MI. In some embodiments, the hybrid fiber of the present invention avoids modal instabilities while yielding almost the same performance as compared to conventional fibers with regard to minimizing fiber nonlinearities such as Stimulated Brillouin Scattering (SBS). In some embodiments, the hybrid fiber outputs a signal beam with at least 1 kW of power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2013
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventors: Eric C. Honea, Matthias P. Savage-Leuchs, Sean M. Courtney, Khushvinder S. Brar, Jason D. Henrie, Christian D. Dilley
  • Patent number: 8588263
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for generating controlled-linewidth laser-seed-signals for high-powered fiber-laser amplifier systems. In some embodiments, the natural chirp (frequency change of laser light over a short start-up time) of a DBR laser diode when driven by pulsed current is used to broaden the linewidth of the laser output, while adjusting the peak current and/or the pulse duration to obtain the desired linewidth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Eric C. Honea, Jason D. Henrie, Matthias P. Savage-Leuchs, Lawrence A. Borschowa, Anping Liu
  • Patent number: 8254419
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for generating controlled-linewidth laser-seed-signals for high-powered fiber-laser amplifier systems. In some embodiments, the natural chirp (frequency change of laser light over a short start-up time) of a DBR laser diode when driven by pulsed current is used to broaden the linewidth of the laser output, while adjusting the peak current and/or the pulse duration to obtain the desired linewidth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Matthias P. Savage-Leuchs, Lawrence A. Borschowa, Eric C. Honea, Jason D. Henrie
  • Patent number: 7835608
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for distributed absorption of pump light over a length of delivery fiber that is, for example in some embodiments, fusion spliced to an end of a multiply clad gain fiber that has significant unused pump light at the end of the gain fiber. In some embodiments, this includes coupling a fiber amplifier to a passive-core delivery fiber that includes a distributed pump dump. In some embodiments, at an output end of the amplifying fiber there is still a significant amount of pump power. If all this pump power is dumped in one small place (e.g., at a splice between the amplifying fiber and a passive delivery fiber) a hot spot will result, leading to unreliable devices that fail (have catastrophic changes in operating performance). The present invention provides a distributed pump dump built into a delivery fiber that is passive to the signal in its core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: John D. Minelly, Jason D. Henrie
  • Patent number: 7539231
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for generating controlled-linewidth laser-seed-signals for high-powered fiber-laser amplifier systems. In some embodiments, the natural chirp (frequency change of laser light over a short start-up time) of a DBR laser diode when driven by pulsed current is used to broaden the linewidth of the laser output, while adjusting the peak current and/or the pulse duration to obtain the desired linewidth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Eric C. Honea, Jason D. Henrie, Matthias P. Savage-Leuchs, Lawrence A. Borschowa, Anping Liu
  • Patent number: 7400807
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is described that use an index-of-refraction profile having a significant central dip in refractive index (or another tailored index profile) within the core of a gain fiber or a gain waveguide on a substrate. The benefits of this central dip (more power with a given mode structure) are apparent when an input beam is akin to that of a Gaussian mode. In some embodiments, the invention provides a fiber or a substrate waveguide having an index profile with a central dip, but wherein the device has no doping. Some embodiments use a central dip surrounded by a higher-index ring in the index of refraction of the core of the fiber, while other embodiments use a trench between an intermediate-index central core portion and the ring, or use a plurality of rings and/or trenches. Some embodiments use an absorber in at least one core ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Aculight Corporation
    Inventors: John D. Minelly, Matthias P. Savage-Leuchs, Barton J. Jenson, Jason D. Henrie, Eric C. Eisenberg
  • Patent number: 6970493
    Abstract: An optically pumped laser has a gain medium positioned inside of an optical resonator cavity and disposed about a resonator optical axis. An optical pumping source is positioned outside of the optical resonator cavity. A reflective coupler with a coupler body, and an interior volume passing therethrough is positioned proximal to the optical pumping source. Light from the pumping source passes into an entrance aperture of the reflective coupler to an exit aperture of the reflective coupler positioned distal to the optical pumping source. The interior volume of the reflective coupler is bounded by a reflective surface, an entrance aperture and the exit aperture, and is substantially transparent to radiation from the optical pumping source. The reflective surface has a high reflectivity matched to radiation from the optical pumping source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2005
    Assignee: Spectra Physics, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason D. Henrie, William L. Nighan, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6825973
    Abstract: An optical amplifier includes at least one amplification stage having a saturation recovery time of less than one (1) millisecond. The amplification stage includes a gain medium operable to receive at least one pump signal and to receive from a multiple span communication link an optical signal comprising a leading edge. The at least one pump signal and the optical signal travel in the same direction at approximately the same speed through at least a portion of the gain medium. In one particular embodiment the leading edge of the optical signal after passing through a plurality of amplifiers when received by a receiver coupled to the communication link comprises a peak power that is no more than ten times the average power of the optical signal at the receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2004
    Assignee: Xtera Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrej B. Puc, Michel W. Chbat, Jason D. Henrie, Sergey P. Burtsev, Frederic L. Barthelemy, Ned A. Weaver
  • Publication number: 20040170206
    Abstract: An optically pumped laser has a gain medium positioned inside of an optical resonator cavity and disposed about a resonator optical axis. An optical pumping source is positioned outside of the optical resonator cavity. A reflective coupler with a coupler body, and an interior volume passing therethrough is positioned proximal to the optical pumping source. Light from the pumping source passes into an entrance aperture of the reflective coupler to an exit aperture of the reflective coupler positioned distal to the optical pumping source. The interior volume of the reflective coupler is bounded by a reflective surface, an entrance aperture and the exit aperture, and is substantially transparent to radiation from the optical pumping source. The reflective surface has a high reflectivity matched to radiation from the optical pumping source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2003
    Publication date: September 2, 2004
    Inventors: Jason D. Henrie, William L. Nighan
  • Patent number: 6665328
    Abstract: An optically pumped laser has a gain medium positioned inside of an optical resonator cavity and disposed about a resonator optical axis. An optical pumping source is positioned outside of the optical resonator cavity. A reflective coupler with a coupler body, and an interior volume passing therethrough is positioned proximal to the optical pumping source. Light from the pumping source passes into an entrance aperture of the reflective coupler to an exit aperture of the reflective coupler positioned distal to the optical pumping source. The interior volume of the reflective coupler is bounded by a reflective surface, an entrance aperture and the exit aperture, and is substantially transparent to radiation from the optical pumping source. The reflective surface has a high reflectivity matched to radiation from the optical pumping source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: Spectra Physics, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason D. Henrie, William L. Nighan, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20030206570
    Abstract: An optically pumped laser has a gain medium positioned inside of an optical resonator cavity and disposed about a resonator optical axis. An optical pumping source is positioned outside of the optical resonator cavity. A reflective coupler with a coupler body, and an interior volume passing therethrough is positioned proximal to the optical pumping source. Light from the pumping source passes into an entrance aperture of the reflective coupler to an exit aperture of the reflective coupler positioned distal to the optical pumping source. The interior volume of the reflective coupler is bounded by a reflective surface, an entrance aperture and the exit aperture, and is substantially transparent to radiation from the optical pumping source. The reflective surface has a high reflectivity matched to radiation from the optical pumping source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2003
    Publication date: November 6, 2003
    Inventors: Jason D. Henrie, William L. Nighan
  • Patent number: 6417955
    Abstract: An amplifier uses a two-dimensional array of cw diodes to produce a pump beam. A coupler is positioned to receive the pump beam. The coupler reduces a cross-sectional dimension of the pump beam and creates a modified pump beam. A vanadate gain medium is positioned adjacent to the coupler. The vanadate gain medium absorbs at least a portion of the modified pump beam and is positioned to receive an input beam from an input beam source and produce an amplified output beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2002
    Assignee: Spectra Physics Lasers, Inc.
    Inventors: James D. Kafka, James B. Clark, Jason D. Henrie
  • Patent number: 5850407
    Abstract: A third-harmonic crystal has a Brewster-cut dispersive output surface for separating the p-polarized fundamental and third-harmonic beams without introducing losses into the beams. The output surface of the third-harmonic crystal is optically uncoated, and thus insensitive to potential ultraviolet (UV)-induced damage. Frequency doubling and tripling lithium triborate (LBO) crystals are used with a Brewster-cut Nd-YAG active medium in a resonant cavity to generate UV light at 355 nm from infrared (IR) light at 1064 nm. Except for the tripling crystal output surface, the doubling and tripling crystal optical surfaces are normal-cut and anti-reflection (AR) coated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 15, 1998
    Assignee: Lightwave Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: William M. Grossman, Jason D. Henrie