Abstract: A catalytic fragrance burner assembly, comprising: a porous core of sintered material; a catalyst, deposited on or around the core; and a wick, in communication with the porous core, and arranged to draw fuel to the core.

Abstract: A catalytic fragrance burner assembly, comprising: a porous core of sintered material; a catalyst, deposited on or around the core; and a wick, in communication with the porous core, and arranged to draw fuel to the core.

Abstract: A new and distinct variety of blackberry plant that in all characteristics looks like a wild blackberry but is distinct in that the fruit when fully ripened is the color is almost a translucent white and not the reddish purple color of the wild blackberry. The new variety named “Nettleton Creamy White” is an upright plant, is a biennial, thorny, with 3 or 5 leaves per plant. The white fruit is medium in size and has the sweetness of its wild blackberry relative.

Abstract: Diode pumped solid state lasers normally require the temperature of the diodes to be controlled so that the diode laser wavelength will match a strong absorption line in the solid state material. This requires heating and cooling equipment that adds size, weight, cost and complexity to the laser design. For military lasers that must operate over a large temperature range but still must be carried by a soldier, the weight and cost issues are severe. The invention makes use of multiple wavelengths, Bragg grating reflectors, to force a diode laser to operate at discrete wavelengths matched to the desired absorption wavelengths of the solid state laser material. The multiple discrete wavelengths are chosen to span a range of temperatures larger than that which can be accommodated by a single wavelength grating. Thus, as the diode temperature varies, the pump wavelength will switch among preselected wavelengths to assure consistent and efficient pumping over a predetermined temperature range.

Abstract: A laser device in accordance with the present invention includes an enclosure that defines a pump cavity with a decreasing taper, from a maximum width at an input end to a minimum width at an output end of the cavity. A laser slab is positioned within the pump cavity by inserting the laser slab into a longitudinal slot that extends along the length of the enclosure. The longitudinal slot is in fluid communication with the pump cavity and the laser slab extends upwardly into the pump cavity once positioned therein. The internal opposing walls of the cavity are preferably gold-plated. Laser pump light is provided from the input end of the device. A portion of the input laser pump is received in the end of the laser slab. Other portions of the input pump light are received in the pump cavity, where they are reflected off the internal walls of the enclosure and into the sides of the laser slab, where they are converted into laser output.

Abstract: An improved monoblock laser cavity is made by applying circular apodizing coatings to the various components of the monoblock laser. The apodization of the laser cavity faces improves the beam divergence of the laser and thus, increases brightness, by encouraging only the lower order modes to lase.

Abstract: An improved monoblock laser cavity is made by elongating the Optical parametric oscillation (OPO) cavity. This can be accomplished by changing the coatings on the OPO material and Q-switch and by elongating the OPO cavity to approximately 2 to 3 times the OPO crystal length. The increase in the length of the OPO cavity will improve the beam divergence of the laser.

Abstract: A laser device in accordance with the present invention includes a diode pump for generating pump light and a pump cavity for receiving the pump light for conversion into an output laser beam. The pump cavity is formed as a trapezoidal prism, or a prism having bases with trapezoidal perimeters, rectangular sides, a rectangular input end and a rectangular output end. The trapezoidal prism has a decreasing taper, from a maximum width at the input end to a minimum width at the output end of the trapezoidal prism. The trapezoidal prism is formed by fixing a rectangular prism that is made of doped lasing material between two triangular prism portions that are made of undoped material. To facilitate ease of manufacture, a pallet is provided, and the diode pump and trapezoidal prism can be fixed to the pallet so that the diode pump is immediately proximate the input end of the trapezoidal prism.

Abstract: The device of the present invention includes a laser source which produces a laser output, an optical parametric oscillator optically connected in series to a laser source wherein the optical parametric oscillator has a predetermined polarization that can be changed and the polarization of the optical parametric oscillator can be changed such that the laser output is altered to a predetermined wavelength. The laser designator and range finder according to the invention is centered on the use of an OPO crystal in the lasing process of the laser designator. The laser designator and range finder is based on the concept that the laser pulse is highly polarized and can be efficiently converted to the eye safe 1.5 microns wavelength by changing the polarization of the laser output so that an eye safe laser output is generated.

Abstract: A device for distinguishing a tripwire from its natural background comprising a light source for illuminating the tripwire and its natural background with light in the near infrared range; and a camera for photographing the illuminated tripwire and background to obtain a high contrast infrared photographic image thereof. The increased contrast permits the user of the device to detect the tripwire which otherwise could not be detected visually.

Abstract: The ‘End Pumped Slab’ Laser Cavity incorporates all optical components required for a short-pulse laser. These optical components are ‘locked’ into alignment forming an optical laser cavity for diode laser or flash lamp pumping. The optical laser cavity never needs optical alignment after it is fabricated. The cavity is configured for optimal absorbtion for diode laser end-pumping over broad temperature ranges.

Abstract: The invention is achieved by using single or multiple laser sources (laser diodes) in a configuration such that when it is coupled with a dichroic substrate the laser sources outputs are coupled to produce a single desired output. The dismounted soldiers in the Department of Defense are overloaded with equipment they must carry into the combat environment. Due to many advancements in laser technology, laser devices have been produced to enhance the soldiers' war fighting capability or to provide them with realistic training aids. Unfortunately, these devices have separate housings, controls, power supplies, controls, laser sources and optics which leads to an undesired weight, space and power claims. The present invention consolidates multiple laser functions for the dismounted soldier into a single package with shared power supplies, optics and laser sources thus, minimizing the claim on weight, space, and power.

Abstract: An optical tube assembly set part that includes an optical tube section, a carrier smaller than the diameter of the optical tube section for carrying an optical component, hardware for holding the carrier within the optical tube section, and hardware for sliding the carrier to line up the optical center of the optical component with a predetermined optical axis.