Patents by Inventor Robert Rex Rice
Robert Rex Rice 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: 9368935Abstract: One embodiment is a wide stripe semiconductor waveguide, which is cleaved at a Talbot length thereof, the wide stripe semiconductor waveguide having facets with mirror coatings. A system provides for selective pumping the wide stripe semiconductor waveguide to create and support a Talbot mode. In embodiments according to the present method and apparatus the gain is patterned so that a single unique pattern actually has the highest gain and hence it is the distribution that oscillates.Type: GrantFiled: April 28, 2008Date of Patent: June 14, 2016Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems CorporationInventors: Robert Rex Rice, Elizabeth Twyford Kunkee
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Patent number: 8441723Abstract: One embodiment of the present method and apparatus encompasses an apparatus that may have: a predetermined length, the self-imaging semiconductor waveguide having first and second opposed sides; quantum wells disposed within the self-imaging semiconductor waveguide along the length of the self-imaging semiconductor waveguide, the quantum wells being formed of a quantum well gain material; microchannel cooler that extends substantially the width of the self-imaging semiconductor waveguide, the microchannel cooler located adjacent the first side of the self-imaging semiconductor waveguide; and a plurality of pump arrays arranged along the microchannel cooler opposed from the first side of the self-imaging semiconductor waveguide; wherein the quantum well gain material is photopumped through the microchannel cooler.Type: GrantFiled: August 11, 2011Date of Patent: May 14, 2013Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems CorporationInventors: Robert Rex Rice, Hagop Injeyan
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Patent number: 8432609Abstract: An edge photo-pumped semiconductor slab amplifier including an undoped semiconductor slab. A first gain structure is formed on an upper surface of the slab and a second gain structure is formed on a lower surface of the slab. The gain structures can be resonant periodic gain structures including a plurality of stacked quantum well layers. Confining layers are coupled to the gain structures to confine a signal beam within the semiconductor slab. Heat sinks are thermally coupled to the confining layers. Optical pump sources are provided along the side edges or coupled to the end edges of the slab so that pump light is introduced into the slab through the edges to provide gain for the quantum well layers.Type: GrantFiled: January 20, 2010Date of Patent: April 30, 2013Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems CorporationInventors: Robert Rex Rice, Derek Evan Schulte, Elizabeth Twyford Kunkee
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Patent number: 8405562Abstract: An antenna system including at least one fiber antenna element having a semiconductor core and an outer cladding layer, where the core has a higher index of refraction than the cladding layer. A pump source provides pump light to the cladding layer in a manner that allows the pump light to propagate down the cladding layer to be absorbed by the core to generate photo-carriers in the core. An antenna circuit is electrically coupled to the core and provides one or both of an RF signal to the core for transmission purposes or receiving an RF signal from the core for reception purposes.Type: GrantFiled: March 9, 2010Date of Patent: March 26, 2013Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems CorporationInventor: Robert Rex Rice
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Patent number: 8089632Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for detecting contaminants associated with a target. In one embodiment, a system is provided that comprises a tunable laser configured to transmit an illuminator pulse at a target for a predetermined time duration and a laser Doppler vibrometer system configured to transmit a probe pulse at a surface of the target within the predetermined time duration. The laser Doppler vibrometer system is further configured to detect and analyze at least one return pulse of the probe pulse to determine a surface expansion velocity of contaminants associated with the target due to the illuminator pulse.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2008Date of Patent: January 3, 2012Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems CorporationInventors: Robert Rex Rice, William Byron Cottingame
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Patent number: 8076629Abstract: One embodiment is an optical image preamplifier having an input through which a laser signal is received and amplified, said laser signal emanating from a target illuminated by a laser transmitter or generated by multiple lasercom transmitters in the field of view; the optical image preamplifier also having an output; and a focal plane array having an input operatively coupled to the output of the optical preamplifier. Embodiments of the present method and apparatus may be utilized to overcome photodetector and post-detection electronic noise to permit near quantum-limited receiver sensitivity with simple focal plane technologies. These embodiments enable ladar, wavefront sensor and multiple access lasercom systems that provide high sensitivity with the wide bandwidth and wavelength flexibility of semiconductor laser media.Type: GrantFiled: April 24, 2008Date of Patent: December 13, 2011Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems CorporationInventor: Robert Rex Rice
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Publication number: 20110290026Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for detecting contaminants associated with a target. In one embodiment, a system is provided that comprises a tunable laser configured to transmit an illuminator pulse at a target for a predetermined time duration and a laser Doppler vibrometer system configured to transmit a probe pulse at a surface of the target within the predetermined time duration. The laser Doppler vibrometer system is further configured to detect and analyze at least one return pulse of the probe pulse to determine a surface expansion velocity of contaminants associated with the target due to the illuminator pulse.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 9, 2008Publication date: December 1, 2011Inventors: Robert Rex Rice, William Byron Cottingame
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Publication number: 20110292501Abstract: One embodiment of the present method and apparatus encompasses an apparatus that may have: a predetermined length, the self-imaging semiconductor waveguide having first and second opposed sides; quantum wells disposed within the self-imaging semiconductor waveguide along the length of the self-imaging semiconductor waveguide, the quantum wells being formed of a quantum well gain material; microchannel cooler that extends substantially the width of the self-imaging semiconductor waveguide, the microchannel cooler located adjacent the first side of the self-imaging semiconductor waveguide; and a plurality of pump arrays arranged along the microchannel cooler opposed from the first side of the self-imaging semiconductor waveguide; wherein the quantum well gain material is photopumped through the microchannel cooler.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 11, 2011Publication date: December 1, 2011Inventors: Robert Rex Rice, Hagop Injeyan
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Patent number: 8049957Abstract: One embodiment of the present method and apparatus encompasses an apparatus that may have: a predetermined length, the self-imaging semiconductor waveguide having first and second opposed sides; quantum wells disposed within the self-imaging semiconductor waveguide along the length of the self-imaging semiconductor waveguide, the quantum wells being formed of a quantum well gain material; microchannel cooler that extends substantially the width of the self-imaging semiconductor waveguide, the microchannel cooler located adjacent the first side of the self-imaging semiconductor waveguide; and a plurality of pump arrays arranged along the microchannel cooler opposed from the first side of the self-imaging semiconductor waveguide; wherein the quantum well gain material is photopumped through the microchannel cooler.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2007Date of Patent: November 1, 2011Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems CorporationInventors: Robert Rex Rice, Hagop Injeyan
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Publication number: 20110221641Abstract: An antenna system including at least one fiber antenna element having a semiconductor core and an outer cladding layer, where the core has a higher index of refraction than the cladding layer. A pump source provides pump light to the cladding layer in a manner that allows the pump light to propagate down the cladding layer to be absorbed by the core to generate photo-carriers in the core. An antenna circuit is electrically coupled to the core and provides one or both of an RF signal to the core for transmission purposes or receiving an RF signal from the core for reception purposes.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 9, 2010Publication date: September 15, 2011Applicant: Northrop Grumman Systems CorporationInventor: Robert Rex Rice
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Patent number: 8018647Abstract: Imaging systems and methods are provided. In one embodiment, an image system is disclosed that comprises a Raman gain medium configured to receive an image from a target area and a tunable laser configured to pump light into the Raman gain medium over a plurality of first wavelengths to induce amplification of the image over a plurality of second wavelengths strokes shifted from the plurality of first wavelengths. The image system further comprises an image detector system that receives and processes the amplified image over the plurality of second wavelengths.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 2007Date of Patent: September 13, 2011Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems CorporationInventors: Robert Rex Rice, Mark Alan Folkman
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Publication number: 20110176204Abstract: An edge photo-pumped semiconductor slab amplifier including an undoped semiconductor slab. A first gain structure is formed on an upper surface of the slab and a second gain structure is formed on a lower surface of the slab. The gain structures can be resonant periodic gain structures including a plurality of stacked quantum well layers. Confining layers are coupled to the gain structures to confine a signal beam within the semiconductor slab. Heat sinks are thermally coupled to the confining layers. Optical pump sources are provided along the side edges or coupled to the end edges of the slab so that pump light is introduced into the slab through the edges to provide gain for the quantum well layers.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 20, 2010Publication date: July 21, 2011Applicant: Northrop Grumman Systems CorporationInventors: Robert Rex Rice, Derek Evan Schulte, Elizabeth Twyford Kunkee
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Patent number: 7822077Abstract: An optical fiber amplifier includes a laser pump source for generating laser pump light; a fiber including an inner cladding layer optically coupled to a laser pump source for receiving laser pump light; a large mode area (LMA) core surrounded by the inner cladding, the LMA core including a confined region having a predetermined doping concentration of rare-earth ions for undergoing excitation to generate laser light when pumped by the laser pump light; and an outer cladding layer surrounding the inner cladding layer for substantially confining the laser pump light to the inner cladding and the LMA core. In a method of forming the optical fiber amplifier, a ratio of an area of the confined region to an area of the LMA core, and the predetermined doping concentration of the rare earth ions are selected so as to achieve a quantum efficiency (QE) gain factor of approximately 2, but such that the heat dissipation per unit length can be controlled by adjusting the area of the confined region.Type: GrantFiled: September 13, 2007Date of Patent: October 26, 2010Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems CorporationInventor: Robert Rex Rice
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Patent number: 7710639Abstract: A system and method is provided for uniform illumination of a target area. In one embodiment, the system comprises a plurality of mutually incoherent light sources configured to generate respective light beams with different wavelengths, and transmitting optics configured to transmit the light beams with different wavelengths in a non-overlapping wavelength light beam pattern over the target area, such that there are no overlap regions of the target area illuminated by a light beam from the same light source.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2006Date of Patent: May 4, 2010Assignee: Northrop Grumman Space & Mission Systems CorporationInventors: William Bryan Cottingame, Robert Rex Rice, Martin Richard Flannery
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Publication number: 20090268069Abstract: One embodiment is an optical image preamplifier having an input through which a laser signal is received and amplified, said laser signal emanating from a target illuminated by a laser transmitter or generated by multiple lasercom transmitters in the field of view; the optical image preamplifier also having an output; and a focal plane array having an input operatively coupled to the output of the optical preamplifier. Embodiments of the present method and apparatus may be utilized to overcome photodetector and post-detection electronic noise to permit near quantum-limited receiver sensitivity with simple focal plane technologies. These embodiments enable ladar, wavefront sensor and multiple access lasercom systems that provide high sensitivity with the wide bandwidth and wavelength flexibility of semiconductor laser media.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 24, 2008Publication date: October 29, 2009Inventor: Robert Rex Rice
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Publication number: 20090268761Abstract: One embodiment is a wide stripe semiconductor waveguide, which is cleaved at a Talbot length thereof, the wide stripe semiconductor waveguide having facets with mirror coatings. A system provides for selective pumping the wide stripe semiconductor waveguide to create and support a Talbot mode. In embodiments according to the present method and apparatus the gain is patterned so that a single unique pattern actually has the highest gain and hence it is the distribution that oscillates.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 28, 2008Publication date: October 29, 2009Inventors: Robert Rex Rice, Elizabeth Twyford Kunkee
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Publication number: 20090116805Abstract: One embodiment of the present method and apparatus encompasses an apparatus that may have: a predetermined length, the self-imaging semiconductor waveguide having first and second opposed sides; quantum wells disposed within the self-imaging semiconductor waveguide along the length of the self-imaging semiconductor waveguide, the quantum wells being formed of a quantum well gain material; microchannel cooler that extends substantially the width of the self-imaging semiconductor waveguide, the microchannel cooler located adjacent the first side of the self-imaging semiconductor waveguide; and a plurality of pump arrays arranged along the microchannel cooler opposed from the first side of the self-imaging semiconductor waveguide; wherein the quantum well gain material is photopumped through the microchannel cooler.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 6, 2007Publication date: May 7, 2009Inventors: Robert Rex Rice, Hagop Nmi Injeyan
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Publication number: 20090074013Abstract: An optical fiber amplifier includes a laser pump source for generating laser pump light; a fiber including an inner cladding layer optically coupled to a laser pump source for receiving laser pump light; a large mode area (LMA) core surrounded by the inner cladding, the LMA core including a confined region having a predetermined doping concentration of rare-earth ions for undergoing excitation to generate laser light when pumped by the laser pump light; and an outer cladding layer surrounding the inner cladding layer for substantially confining the laser pump light to the inner cladding and the LMA core. In a method of forming the optical fiber amplifier, a ratio of an area of the confined region to an area of the LMA core, and the predetermined doping concentration of the rare earth ions are selected so as to achieve a quantum efficiency (QE) gain factor of approximately 2, but such that the heat dissipation per unit length can be controlled by adjusting the area of the confined region.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 13, 2007Publication date: March 19, 2009Applicant: Northrop Grumman Space and Mission Systems Corp.Inventor: Robert Rex Rice
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Patent number: 7502395Abstract: A pulsed coherent fiber array laser system that includes a beam generating sub-system that provides a signal pulse beam having pulses of the desired duration that is split into several fiber channels. Optical leakage between the pulses in each split beam is measured and locked to a reference beam by a phase sensing circuit and phase adjusters so that the phase of each fiber pulsed beam is aligned with the phase of the reference beam. A pulse clipper or filter is employed to remove the pulses in the fiber beams so that they do not saturate the phase sensing circuit. The beam generating sub-system can employ any suitable combination of devices to generate the signal beam and the reference beam, including continuous wave master oscillators, amplitude modulators, frequency shifters, injection seed oscillators, Q-switched lasers, reference oscillators, frequency lockers, wavelength division multiplexers, time gated switches, etc.Type: GrantFiled: August 8, 2006Date of Patent: March 10, 2009Assignee: Northrop Grumman Space & Mission Systems Corp.Inventors: Eric Chiu-Tat Cheng, Robert Rex Rice, Michael Gordon Wickham, Mark Ernest Weber
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Patent number: 7440174Abstract: An optical beam combiner and a related method for its operation, in which multiple coherent input beams are directed onto a diffractive optical element (DOE) along directions corresponding to diffraction orders of the DOE, such that the DOE generates a single output beam in a direction corresponding to a desired diffraction order, and suppresses outputs in directions corresponding to unwanted diffraction orders. The phases of the input beams are actively controlled to ensure and maintain the condition that only a single diffraction mode is present in the output of the DOE.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 2006Date of Patent: October 21, 2008Assignee: Northrop Grumman CorporationInventors: Robert Rex Rice, Michael Gordon Wickham, Joshua Elliott Rothenberg