Patents by Inventor Patrick GREGG
Patrick GREGG 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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Publication number: 20250155641Abstract: In some implementations, an optical fiber may include a core and a cladding surrounding the core. The core and the cladding may provide light guidance along the optical fiber in a light propagation direction. The core may have a taper in the light propagation direction in a section of the optical fiber. A diameter of the core may decrease independently of a diameter of the cladding in the section of the optical fiber.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 17, 2025Publication date: May 15, 2025Inventors: Richard D. FAULHABER, Martin H. MUENDEL, Patrick GREGG, James J. MOREHEAD
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Patent number: 12298555Abstract: A laser component includes a pump-signal combiner, which includes a first capillary, a plurality of pump fibers, a second capillary, and a signal fiber. The plurality of pump fibers, the second capillary, and the signal fiber are arranged in a bundle configuration. The bundle configuration is disposed within an internal portion of the first capillary. A cross-section of the bundle configuration includes an outer area, in which the plurality of pump fibers are disposed, and an inner area, in which the second capillary and the signal fiber are disposed. The signal fiber is disposed within an internal portion of the second capillary.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2022Date of Patent: May 13, 2025Assignee: Lumentum Operations LLCInventors: Patrick Gregg, Richard D. Faulhaber, Martin H. Muendel, Jeff Gregg, Kyle R. Schneider
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Patent number: 12210190Abstract: In some implementations, an optical fiber may include a core and a cladding surrounding the core. The core and the cladding may provide light guidance along the optical fiber in a light propagation direction. The core may have a taper in the light propagation direction in a section of the optical fiber. A diameter of the core may decrease independently of a diameter of the cladding in the section of the optical fiber.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2021Date of Patent: January 28, 2025Assignee: Lumentum Operations LLCInventors: Richard D. Faulhaber, Martin H. Muendel, Patrick Gregg, James J. Morehead
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Publication number: 20250020861Abstract: An optical pump-signal combiner includes a first end and a second end. The optical pump-signal combiner is tapered down from the first end to the second end. At a first cross-section of the optical pump-signal combiner associated with the first end, the optical pump-signal combiner includes a capillary, a plurality of signal fibers that are disposed within the capillary, and a plurality of pump fibers that surround the capillary. Each signal fiber, of the plurality of signal fibers, includes a signal core and a signal cladding, and each pump fiber, of the plurality of pump fibers, includes a pump core and a pump cladding. At a second cross-section of the optical pump-signal combiner associated with the second end, the optical pump-signal combiner includes a unified fiber that includes an outer combined-cladding, a combined-pump core, an inner combined-cladding, and a combined-signal core.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 31, 2023Publication date: January 16, 2025Inventors: Richard D. FAULHABER, Patrick GREGG, Jeff GREGG
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Publication number: 20240368021Abstract: In some implementations, a fiber processing machine may receive an optical assembly comprising an input fiber, an output fiber, and a graded index fiber spliced between the input fiber and the output fiber, wherein the graded index fiber has a pitch length and a processed length. A light source may deliver input light into an input end of the input fiber while one or more components monitor output light at an output end of the output fiber. The fiber processing machine may alter a core diameter and the processed length of the graded index fiber until one or more measurements of the output light at the output end of the output fiber indicate that the output light is a perfect image of the input light.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 17, 2023Publication date: November 7, 2024Inventors: Richard D. FAULHABER, Patrick GREGG, Martin H. MUENDEL
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Publication number: 20240275116Abstract: In some implementations, an optical system includes a multicore input fiber comprising multiple cores that are each configured to support an independent singlemode laser; a delivery fiber comprising a single core configured to support multiple modes; and a signal combiner, coupled to the multicore input fiber and coupled to the delivery fiber. In some implementations, the signal combiner is configured to receive multiple independent singlemode laser inputs from the multicore input fiber and to combine the multiple independent singlemode laser inputs into a multimode output that is provided to the delivery fiber.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 31, 2023Publication date: August 15, 2024Inventors: Richard D. FAULHABER, Martin H. MUENDEL, Patrick GREGG
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Publication number: 20230333315Abstract: A laser component includes a pump-signal combiner, which includes a first capillary, a plurality of pump fibers, a second capillary, and a signal fiber. The plurality of pump fibers, the second capillary, and the signal fiber are arranged in a bundle configuration. The bundle configuration is disposed within an internal portion of the first capillary. A cross-section of the bundle configuration includes an outer area, in which the plurality of pump fibers are disposed, and an inner area, in which the second capillary and the signal fiber are disposed. The signal fiber is disposed within an internal portion of the second capillary.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 30, 2022Publication date: October 19, 2023Inventors: Patrick GREGG, Richard D. FAULHABER, Martin H. MUENDEL, Jeff GREGG, Kyle R. SCHNEIDER
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Patent number: 11789335Abstract: In some implementations, a monolithic optical fiber may comprise a tapered core having a first diameter at an input end and a second diameter at an output end. The tapered core may comprise a first tapered region at the input end, a second tapered region at the output end, and a central region having a constant diameter that is larger than the first diameter and the second diameter. The first tapered region expands monotonically from the first diameter to the constant diameter of the central region along a length of the first tapered region, and the second tapered region contracts monotonically from the constant diameter of the central region to the second diameter along a length of the second tapered region. The monolithic optical fiber may be used as a delivery fiber to deliver a laser beam from a fiber laser engine to a process head.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 2021Date of Patent: October 17, 2023Assignee: Lumentum Operations LLCInventors: Richard D. Faulhaber, Martin H. Muendel, Patrick Gregg
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Publication number: 20230318250Abstract: In some implementations, a master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) system may include one or more pump laser sources, a power amplifier, and a multicore oscillator that includes an input side coupled to the one or more pump laser sources and an output side coupled to the power amplifier. In some implementations, the multicore oscillator may include an active fiber, including an inner cladding, an outer cladding surrounding the inner cladding, and multiple active fiber cores, embedded in the inner cladding, to convert pump light into signal light. In some implementations, the multicore oscillator may include multiple first reflectors that are each configured to operate as a high reflector on the input side of the oscillator, and multiple second reflectors that are each configured to operate as an output coupler on the output side of the oscillator.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 28, 2022Publication date: October 5, 2023Inventors: Richard D. FAULHABER, Martin H. MUENDEL, Patrick GREGG, Ning LIU
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Publication number: 20230280526Abstract: An optical device may include a fiber to provide a beam. The optical device may include a graded-index element to expand or magnify the beam. An input facet of the graded-index element may be adhered to an output facet of the fiber. The optical device may include an optical transformation element to transform the beam after the beam is expanded or magnified by the graded-index element. An input facet of the optical transformation element may be adhered to an output facet of the graded-index element. The optical transformation element may comprise at least one active optical element or may be non-birefringent such that orthogonal polarizations of the beam do not experience distinct phase transformations.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 15, 2023Publication date: September 7, 2023Inventors: Patrick GREGG, Martin H. MUENDEL, Richard D. FAULHABER
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Patent number: 11693176Abstract: An in-fiber beam scanning system may comprise an input fiber to provide a beam, a feeding fiber comprising an imaging bundle with multiple cores embedded in a first cladding that is surrounded by a second cladding, and an in-fiber beam shifter that comprises a first multibend beam shifter coupled to the input fiber, a graded index fiber following the first multibend beam shifter, and a second multibend beam shifter following the graded index fiber and coupling into the feeding fiber. In some implementations, the first multibend beam shifter is actuated by a first amount and the second multibend beam shifter is actuated by a second amount to shift the beam in two dimensions and deliver the beam into one or more target cores in the imaging bundle.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2021Date of Patent: July 4, 2023Assignee: Lumentum Operations LLCInventors: Patrick Gregg, Martin H. Muendel, Richard D. Faulhaber, Alex Hatcher, John Peck
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Patent number: 11650367Abstract: An optical device may include a fiber to provide a beam. The optical device may include a graded-index element to expand or magnify the beam. An input facet of the graded-index element may be adhered to an output facet of the fiber. The optical device may include an optical transformation element to transform the beam after the beam is expanded or magnified by the graded-index element. An input facet of the optical transformation element may be adhered to an output facet of the graded-index element.Type: GrantFiled: April 20, 2020Date of Patent: May 16, 2023Assignee: Lumentum Operations LLCInventors: Patrick Gregg, Martin H. Muendel, Richard D. Faulhaber
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Publication number: 20230116665Abstract: An in-fiber beam scanning system may comprise an input fiber to provide a beam, a feeding fiber comprising an imaging bundle with multiple cores embedded in a first cladding that is surrounded by a second cladding, and an in-fiber beam shifter that comprises a first multibend beam shifter coupled to the input fiber, a graded index fiber following the first multibend beam shifter, and a second multibend beam shifter following the graded index fiber and coupling into the feeding fiber. In some implementations, the first multibend beam shifter is actuated by a first amount and the second multibend beam shifter is actuated by a second amount to shift the beam in two dimensions and deliver the beam into one or more target cores in the imaging bundle.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2021Publication date: April 13, 2023Inventors: Patrick GREGG, Martin H. MUENDEL, Richard D. FAULHABER, Alex HATCHER, John PECK
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Patent number: 11624932Abstract: An optical device may include a polarization splitter to split a unidirectional rotary optical beam into a first rotary optical beam having a first polarization state and a second rotary optical beam having a second polarization state. The unidirectional rotary optical beam and the second rotary optical beam may have optical power with a first direction of spatial rotation. The optical device may include a reflective element to reverse a parity of the first rotary optical beam in association with causing optical power of the first rotary optical beam to have a second direction of spatial rotation. The optical device may include a polarization combiner to, after reversal of the parity of the first rotary optical beam, combine the first rotary optical beam and the second rotary optical beam to create a bi-directional rotary optical beam having the first polarization state and the second polarization state.Type: GrantFiled: October 3, 2019Date of Patent: April 11, 2023Assignee: Lumentum Operations LLCInventors: Martin H. Muendel, Patrick Gregg
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Patent number: 11619788Abstract: In some implementations, a fiber optic combiner may comprise an enclosing tube having a geometric shape and multiple optical fibers bundled within the enclosing tube. In some implementations, the multiple fibers comprise at least one optical fiber having a core and a non-circular cladding surrounding the core. The non-circular cladding may cause the multiple optical fibers to have a larger tube fill factor and a lower expected beam parameter product increase factor relative to the multiple optical fibers all having circular claddings.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2021Date of Patent: April 4, 2023Assignee: Lumentum Operations LLCInventors: Martin H. Muendel, Patrick Gregg, Richard D. Faulhaber, Jeff Gregg, James J. Morehead
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Publication number: 20230094713Abstract: An optical assembly may comprise an input fiber to provide a beam, a process fiber comprising a ring-shaped outer core surrounded by a cladding, and a first beam shifter arranged to receive the beam from the input fiber and to shift the beam spatially to illuminate the ring-shaped outer core of the process fiber. The optical assembly may further comprise a second beam shifter arranged to receive the beam from the first beam shifter and to add skew to the beam that is launched into the ring-shaped outer core of the process fiber.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 16, 2021Publication date: March 30, 2023Inventors: Patrick GREGG, Martin H. MUENDEL, Richard D. FAULHABER, Alex HATCHER, John PECK
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Patent number: 11592612Abstract: In some implementations, a waveguide may comprise an inner core to receive a first beam and an outer core surrounding the inner core to receive a second beam that is displaced from the first beam by an offset. The outer core may comprise a beam guiding region that rotationally expands over a length of the waveguide into an annulus that concentrically surrounds the inner core or a partial annulus that partially surrounds the inner core. For example, the beam guiding region may be defined by one or more low refractive index features that have a varied orientation and/or a varied shape over the length of the waveguide such that the second beam enters the waveguide as an offset beam and exits from the waveguide as a ring-shaped beam or a partial ring-shaped beam.Type: GrantFiled: March 2, 2021Date of Patent: February 28, 2023Assignee: Lumentum Operations LLCInventors: Patrick Gregg, Martin H. Muendel, Richard D. Faulhaber, James J. Morehead, Jeff Gregg
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Publication number: 20230034097Abstract: In some implementations, a monolithic optical fiber may comprise a tapered core having a first diameter at an input end and a second diameter at an output end. The tapered core may comprise a first tapered region at the input end, a second tapered region at the output end, and a central region having a constant diameter that is larger than the first diameter and the second diameter. The first tapered region expands monotonically from the first diameter to the constant diameter of the central region along a length of the first tapered region, and the second tapered region contracts monotonically from the constant diameter of the central region to the second diameter along a length of the second tapered region. The monolithic optical fiber may be used as a delivery fiber to deliver a laser beam from a fiber laser engine to a process head.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 3, 2021Publication date: February 2, 2023Inventors: Richard D. FAULHABER, Martin H. MUENDEL, Patrick GREGG
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Publication number: 20230008662Abstract: In some implementations, an optical fiber may include a core and a cladding surrounding the core. The core and the cladding may provide light guidance along the optical fiber in a light propagation direction. The core may have a taper in the light propagation direction in a section of the optical fiber. A diameter of the core may decrease independently of a diameter of the cladding in the section of the optical fiber.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 10, 2021Publication date: January 12, 2023Inventors: Richard D. FAULHABER, Martin H. MUENDEL, Patrick GREGG, James J. MOREHEAD
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Publication number: 20220334327Abstract: In some implementations, a fiber optic combiner may comprise an enclosing tube having a geometric shape and multiple optical fibers bundled within the enclosing tube. In some implementations, the multiple fibers comprise at least one optical fiber having a core and a non-circular cladding surrounding the core. The non-circular cladding may cause the multiple optical fibers to have a larger tube fill factor and a lower expected beam parameter product increase factor relative to the multiple optical fibers all having circular claddings.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 29, 2021Publication date: October 20, 2022Inventors: Martin H. MUENDEL, Patrick GREGG, Richard D. FAULHABER, Jeff GREGG, James J. MOREHEAD