Patents by Inventor Theodor W. Hansch

Theodor W. Hansch 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: 9971000
    Abstract: A device for sensing a microwave magnetic field polarization component (B?, B?, B+) of a microwave relative to a static magnetic field B0, comprising a preparation means to prepare atomic vapor (10) comprising thermal atoms in a first hyperfine state, particularly a dark state to applied laser light, which first hyperfine state is split from other hyperfine state due to zero-field hyperfine splitting and/or due to a static magnetic field (B0) generated by preparation means, at least one cell enclosing the thermal atoms (10), the microwave is adapted to drive Rabi oscillations of thermal atoms between first hyperfine state and second hyperfine state, Rabi frequency of Rabi oscillations being proportional to magnetic field polarization component (B?, B?, B+) of the microwave, and imaging means to capture state image of plurality of atoms representing spatial atomic density distribution (Ne) as a function of the Rabi frequency (?i(r)) of Rabi oscillations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: UNIVERSITAT BASEL
    Inventors: Pascal Bohi, Max F. Riedel, Theodor W. Hansch, Philipp Treutlein
  • Publication number: 20150048824
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for sensing a microwave magnetic field polarization component (B?, B?, B+,) of a microwave relative to a static magnetic field B0, comprising: a preparation means being designed to prepare an atomic vapor (10) comprising a plurality of thermal atoms in a first hyperfine state, particularly a dark state to applied laser light, which first hyperfine state is split from at least one other hyperfine state due to the zero-field hyperfine splitting and/or due to a static magnetic field (B0) generated by said preparation means, at least one cell (1) enclosing said plurality of thermal atoms (10), wherein said microwave is adapted to drive Rabi oscillations of said plurality of thermal atoms between said first hyperfine state and a second hyperfine state, the Rabi frequency of said Rabi oscillations being proportional to said magnetic field polarization component (B?, B?, B+) of said microwave, and an imaging means being designed to capture a state image of said plurality of atoms re
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2013
    Publication date: February 19, 2015
    Applicant: UNIVERSITAT BASEL
    Inventors: Pascal Bohi, Max F. Riedel, Theodor W. Hansch, Philipp Treutlein
  • Publication number: 20110267625
    Abstract: An embodiment relates to an interferometer comprising: a first frequency comb; a second frequency comb adapted to interact with the first frequency comb in order to produce interferences; means for isolating the beating signal between a subset of frequency components among the frequency components of the two combs. This subset of frequency components may be preferably, but not necessarily, a single line of the first frequency comb and a single line of the second frequency comb; means for monitoring this beating signal and using it as a trigger or as a clock for the acquisition unit device recording the beating interference signal between the entire frequency components of the first and the second frequency combs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2009
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Applicant: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique-CNRS
    Inventors: Guy Guelachvili, Theodor W. Hänsch, Nathalie Picqué
  • Patent number: 7672342
    Abstract: A method of generating pulsed coherent radiation, comprises the step of generating high harmonic pulses by an interaction of laser light pulses with a non-linear medium contained in a resonant cavity, wherein the non-linear medium is arranged in an environment of reduced pressure. Furthermore, a radiation source of generating pulsed coherent radiation is described, comprising a laser pulse source for generating laser light pulses, a resonant cavity including a non-linear medium for generating high harmonic pulses by an interaction of the laser light pulses with the non-linear medium, wherein the non-linear medium is arranged in an environment of reduced pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften e.V.
    Inventors: Christoph Gohle, Theodor W. Hänsch, Ronald Holzwarth, Thomas Udem
  • Patent number: 6785303
    Abstract: A process for operation of a laser device (1) is described, whereby circulating light pulses each comprising spectral components according to a plurality of longitudinal modes of a resonator configuration (3) are generated in the resonator configuration (3) and subjected to a compensation of group velocity dispersion, and a predetermined linear dispersion is introduced into the light path of the resonator configuration (3), so that at least one mode has a predetermined frequency and/or the mode distance between the modes has a predetermined value. Furthermore, regulations for stabilizing the laser device on the basis of this process and applications of the regulations for the generation for stabilized, ultra-short light pulses, generation of optical frequencies and in the frequency and/or time measuring technique as well as in the spectroscopy are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Assignee: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Forderung der Wissenschaften e. V.
    Inventors: Ronald Holzwarth, Jörg Reichert, Thomas Udem, Theodor W. Hänsch
  • Patent number: 6724788
    Abstract: A method for generating radiation with stabilized frequency, comprises the steps of providing laser light pulses with a repetition frequency fR, said pulses comprising a plurality of N frequency components fn with fn=n fR+f0, wherein f0 represents an offset frequency with n=1 , . . . , N, said frequency components forming a comb with first and second different frequency portions, and generating a primary light output with at least one output frequency component corresponding to the difference of frequencies of said first and second frequency portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignee: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Forderung der Wissenschaften e.V.
    Inventors: Ronald Holzwarth, Theodor W. Hänsch
  • Patent number: 6476383
    Abstract: A device for generating and manpulating coherent matter waves contains a magnetic trap being adapted to form a magnetic trapping potential for gas atoms, said magnetic trap comprising a plurality of trap coils being connected with a current supply device and including two quadrupole coils and one Ioffe coil, wherein the trap coils are arranged in such a relative position that a common trap is formed, said common trap having a quadrupole trap shape with one trap minimum if the quadrupole coils are in an operation condition and the Ioffe coil is in a currentless condition or two trap minima or a Ioffe trap shape if all the quadrupole and Ioffe coils are in an operation condition and a shielding device protecting the magnetic trap against external magnetic fields. A method of continuous extracting matter waves from the trap is described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Forderung der Wissenschaften e.V.
    Inventors: Tilman Esslinger, Theodor W. Hänsch, Immanuel Bloch
  • Patent number: 4700150
    Abstract: An external laser frequency stabilizer combines an acousto-optic frequency shifter and a fast electro-optic phase modulator. A compensating electronic delay line in a crossover network provides a near-ideal transducer response while keeping the voltage across the electro-optic crystal away from the amplifier limits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1985
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1987
    Assignee: Stanford University
    Inventors: John L. Hall, Theodor W. Hansch
  • Patent number: 4451923
    Abstract: Herein is disclosed a method of and apparatus for measuring optical frequency variations wherein linearly-polarized incident light generated by a tunable laser or the like is delivered to a passive resonant cavity incorporating a linear polarizer such as a Brewster plate so that the reflected light acquires a frequency-dependent elliptical polarization which can be detected by a simple polarization analyzer providing a signal correlated with the frequency variation of the laser. Such signal can be utilized as a feedback error signal to stabilize the laser frequency, or to adjust the cavity resonance. If the cavity is tunable, tuning thereof will in turn provide a precision method for tuning of the laser itself.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1980
    Date of Patent: May 29, 1984
    Inventors: Theodor W. Hansch, Bernard J. Couillaud
  • Patent number: 4191473
    Abstract: The invention constitutes a method of and apparatus for measuring the absolute wavelength of a source of unknown frequency radiation through directing radiant energy of known frequency against a diffraction grating of predetermined pattern so as to image a calibrated scale on a suitable screen or the like, and then directing the radiant energy from the unknown frequency source along the same path to the diffraction grating and onto the screen, where a visually available easy-to-read measurement of the wavelength appears.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 1978
    Date of Patent: March 4, 1980
    Inventor: Theodor W. Hansch