Filter Patents (Class 359/308)
  • Patent number: 11592693
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a tunable optical phased array, and a tunable optical phased array are disclosed by the present application. The tunable optical phased array includes: a substrate layer (10), a distributed Bragg reflector (20), a support layer (30), a piezoelectric layer (40), an antenna array (60), and a transducer module (50) configured to make interconversion between a phase control signal and a surface wave; the antenna array (60) and the distributed Bragg reflector (20) are used to form a Fabry Perot resonant cavity, and the phase control signal output by a signal source is concerted into the surface wave by the transducer module (50), and the surface wave is conducted to the antenna array (60) through the piezoelectric layer (40).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: SHENZHEN LITRA TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Zhongxiang Zhang
  • Patent number: 11402561
    Abstract: An optical element for implementation in a heads-up display or other near-eye display system includes a lightguide and an incoupler optically coupled to the lightguide. The incoupler receives a display beam incident upon the lightguide at a first incidence position. The incoupler directs a first portion of the display beam into the lightguide to form an incoupled beam and causes a second portion to remain non-incoupled relative to the lightguide to form a non-incoupled beam. The optical element further includes a reflector to receive the non-incoupled beam and to reflect the non-incoupled beam towards the incoupler to form a reflected beam incident upon the incoupler at a second incidence position. The incoupler direct a corresponding portion of the reflected beam into the lightguide to form a further incoupled beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Daniel Adema, Ian Andrews, Timothy Paul Bodiya, Shreyas Potnis
  • Patent number: 11347087
    Abstract: An acousto-optic structure according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is a stacked structure for inducing an interaction between incident acoustic wave and incident optical wave, and it includes: a pair of multi-layered structures including a structure in which two layers with different acoustic impedance and optical impedance are alternately arranged in a direction in which the acoustic wave and the optical wave propagate; and a cavity layer disposed between the pair of multi-layered structures in the direction in which the acoustic wave and the optical wave propagate, and made of a medium having acoustic impedance and optical impedance that are different from those of interfacing layers at both sides, wherein the two layers are symmetrically arranged with respect to the cavity layer so that the acoustic wave and the optical wave may be confined in the cavity layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: KOREA ADVANCED INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Wonju Jeon, Junyong An, Hyeonbin Ryoo
  • Patent number: 10873170
    Abstract: A system to couple a controller to a roadside aerial lighting fixture includes a primary male connector integrated with the controller and a primary female connector integrated with the roadside aerial lighting fixture. The primary male and female connectors are compliant with a roadway area lighting standard promoted by a standards body. The primary male connector protrudes from a first substantially planar surface of the controller. The primary female connector is recessed within a second substantially planar surface of the roadside aerial lighting fixture. A controller-side high speed communications data element is integrated with the primary male connector, and a fixture-side high speed communications data element is integrated with the primary female connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: Ubicquia LLC
    Inventors: Ronald B. Zimmerman, III, Ian B. Aaron, Bradford Brian Hutson, Jeffrey T. Root
  • Patent number: 10705356
    Abstract: A method for adjusting an intensity of a light beam in an optical arrangement includes passing the light beam through an acousto-optical tunable filter (AOTF). The intensity of the light beam is adjusted as a function of frequency and/or amplitude of a sound wave with which the AOTF is operated. The amplitude of the sound wave at a specified sound wave frequency is selected such that the amplitude is larger than would be required to achieve a first maximum diffraction efficiency for a specified wavelength or for a specified wavelength spectrum of the light beam. The amplitude of the sound wave is also selected such that a value of an integral of a product of the transmission function of the AOTF and the wavelength spectrum of the light beam is larger than at a value of the amplitude to be selected to achieve the first maximum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: LEICA MICROSYSTEMS CMS GMBH
    Inventors: Manuel Kremer, Vishnu Vardhan Krishnamachari, Arnold Giske
  • Patent number: 10522008
    Abstract: An improved pinpoint alarm system for sound localization comprising a voltage regulator logic controller, and sounder comprising a piezoelectric plate mounted in a Helmholtz generator, the logic controller configured and programmed to generate repetitively a pseudorandom frequency within a predetermined range of frequencies based on the peak or resonant frequencies of the sounder to directly or indirectly drive the sounder. The pinpoint alarm system can be used in a variety of applications, including vehicles and tracking devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Challenge/Surge Inc.
    Inventor: Yehoshua B Klyman
  • Patent number: 10153413
    Abstract: A light-emitting device includes a base, a light-emitting element, and reflecting elements. The light-emitting element is mounted on the base. The reflecting elements are arranged around the light-emitting element to reflect light emitted by the light-emitting element. Each of the reflecting elements includes a core and a dielectric multilayer film. The dielectric multilayer film covers the core and has a thickness to reflect a wavelength of the light emitted by the light-emitting element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: NICHIA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuta Oka
  • Patent number: 9971226
    Abstract: An optoelectronic filter having at least one input and an output includes a modulator circuit having at least first and second inputs with a first one of the modulator circuit inputs adapted to couple to a respective one of the at least one input of the optoelectronic filter. The modulator circuit receives at least a first radio frequency (RF) signal having a first power level and a second RF signal having a second, different power level at the first one of the modulator circuit inputs and in response thereto generates a modulated signal at an output thereof. The first RF signal is suppressed relative to the second RF signal in the modulated signal. The optoelectronic filter additionally includes a light source adapted to couple to a second one of the modulator circuit inputs. A corresponding method is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Paul W. Juodawlkis, William Loh, Rajeev J Ram, Siva Yegnanarayanan
  • Patent number: 8908725
    Abstract: The invention relates to an external cavity tunable laser. The laser comprises an extracavity collimating lens arranged outside a laser cavity, and a laser output mirror, a laser gain medium, an intracavity collimating lens, an active optical phase modulator and a tunable optical filter all arranged sequentially inside the laser cavity. The laser further comprises an active polarization rotator arranged behind the tunable optical filter, a polarization beam splitter arranged behind the active polarization rotator, a first etalon and a first total reflection mirror arranged in the direction vertical to the optic axis of a laser cavity output lens, a second etalon and a second total reflection mirror arranged in the direction of the optic axis of the laser cavity output lens, and a laser drive and control circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Inventor: Peiliang Gao
  • Patent number: 8724209
    Abstract: An acousto-optic (AO) device includes an AO interaction crystal for receiving and propagating a light ray along an optical propagation direction (OPD). A piezoelectric transducer is on at least one surface of the AO interaction crystal for receiving an electrical signal and emitting an acoustic wave into the AO interaction crystal. An electrode is on the piezoelectric transducer for coupling the electrical signal to the piezoelectric transducer. The electrode is a patterned electrode that includes a plurality of different transverse edge positions. The plurality of different transverse edge positions span a position range of at least five percent of an average height (Havg) of the electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Gooch and Housego PLC
    Inventor: Christopher N. Pannell
  • Patent number: 8711168
    Abstract: The color gamut of display devices like digital projectors and digital displays is expanded by incorporating additional passband filters into the optical path of the devices to produce presentations of color components in two different color gamuts. The composite visual effect of the two presentations is a presentation in an expanded color gamut. Special considerations in the modulation of color components of the image can reduce variations in color and brightness, which can otherwise manifest themselves as flicker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventor: Martin Richards
  • Patent number: 8687267
    Abstract: An acousto-optical tunable filter is disclosed. The filter includes a medium having one or more indices of refractions alterable by the application of acoustic waves to the medium. The filter also includes an acoustic transducer coupled to the medium to generate the acoustic waves Altering the frequency of the acoustic wave selects among the different wavelengths in the incident light ray. The device also includes an optical mirror for reflecting a wave diffracted by the medium back to the medium so that it can again be diffracted. The first diffracted wave has its frequency shifted in one direction by the frequency of the acoustic wave while the second diffracted wave has its frequency shifted in the opposite direction, thereby compensating for the first shift. The result is an output ray with little or no frequency shift.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Inventor: Peiliang Gao
  • Publication number: 20140081096
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides various systems and methods for focusing electromagnetic radiation (EMR) within a diffusion medium, such as a turbid medium. A diffusion medium is irradiated with EMR. The EMR may be modulated by an acoustical wave focused on a focus volume within the diffusion medium. The EMR may be modulated by a beat frequency or other function of multiple focused acoustical waves. The EMR may be modulated at a harmonic of a fundamental frequency of one or more acoustical waves. A filter may filter the emerging EMR to remove all but specifically modulated EMR scattered from the focus volume. The modulated EMR may be focused and/or used for various purposes, including imaging. In some embodiments, the modulated EMR may be reflected and/or amplified by a phase conjugating mirror. Furthermore, in some embodiments, acoustical phase conjugation may be used to focus an acoustical wave on a focus volume.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2012
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Applicant: ELWHA LLC
    Inventors: Michael H. Baym, Roderick A. Hyde, Jordin T. Kare, Lowell L. Wood, JR.
  • Publication number: 20140081102
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides various systems and methods for focusing electromagnetic radiation (EMR) within a diffusion medium, such as a turbid medium. A diffusion medium is irradiated with EMR. The EMR may be modulated by an acoustical wave focused on a focus volume within the diffusion medium. The EMR may be modulated by a beat frequency or other function of multiple focused acoustical waves. The EMR may be modulated at a harmonic of a fundamental frequency of one or more acoustical waves. A filter may filter the emerging EMR to remove all but specifically modulated EMR scattered from the focus volume. The modulated EMR may be focused and/or used for various purposes, including imaging. In some embodiments, the modulated EMR may be reflected and/or amplified by a phase conjugating mirror. Furthermore, in some embodiments, acoustical phase conjugation may be used to focus an acoustical wave on a focus volume.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2012
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Applicant: ELWHA LLC
    Inventors: Michael H. Baym, Roderick A. Hyde, Jordin T. Kare, Lowell L. Wood, JR.
  • Patent number: 8475665
    Abstract: Technologies are generally described for a nanoparticle filter and system effective to move a nanoparticle from a fluid to a location. In some examples, the method includes providing the fluid including the nanoparticles. In some examples, the method further includes applying a first light to the fluid to create a first plasmon. In some examples, the first plasmon is effective to aggregate the nanoparticles to generate a nanoparticle aggregation. In some examples, the method includes applying a second light to the fluid to create a second plasmon. In some examples, the second plasmon is effective to move the nanoparticle aggregation to a location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Empire Technology Development, LLC
    Inventor: Vincenzo Casasanta, III
  • Patent number: 8412050
    Abstract: Example embodiments may include a coaxial Free Space Optical (FSO) telescope providing a simplified and more precise structure. Example embodiment telescopes include a prism structure having at least two parallel surfaces associated with a filter and mirror. The filter may reflect or transmit optical signals based on their electromagnetic characteristics. Example embodiment systems include example embodiment coaxial FSO telescopes and transmitters and receivers for receiving and transmitting optical signals. A V-groove and/or lens array may be included in example embodiment FSO systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Alcatel Lucent
    Inventor: Gerald Nykolak
  • Publication number: 20120069427
    Abstract: A method and a device for acousto-optic filtering with large optic and acoustic interaction length; includes the use of a birefringent acousto-optic crystal whereof the sound wave propagation speed is as low as possible, this acousto-optical crystal including, on one of its faces, a piezoelectric transducer intended to generate a transverse sound wave whereof the energy propagates collinearly to the energy of an incident light wave, all along the path of the incident light wave, in the aforementioned birefringent acousto-optic crystal, knowing that the transverse sound wave and the incident light wave travel a path including multiple reflections on one or the other of the reflective faces of the birefringent acousto-optic crystal perpendicular to the axes of symmetry shared by the acoustic slownesses curve and the curves of the ordinary and extraordinary optical indices of the acousto-optic crystal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2010
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Applicant: FASTLITE
    Inventors: Daniel KAPLAN, Pierre TOURNOIS
  • Patent number: 8139281
    Abstract: A tunable optical filter apparatus and method are disclosed. The apparatus may include a filter driver, a filter device, a detector device and a controller device. The filter driver generates a filter driver signal, including a dither signal. The controller device may be coupled to the detector device, the filter device and the filter driver. The controller device may receive the detector output signal and determine a ratio of the odd order harmonic signal to the even order harmonic signal with respect to the dither frequency. The controller device may also compare the ratio to a predetermined setpoint ratio and generate a control feedback signal for generating a new filter driver signal. The control feedback signal may be based on the comparison of the ratio of the odd order harmonic signal to the even order harmonic signal, to the predetermined setpoint ratio that corresponds to a desired filter operating frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Leah Wang, Anthony C. Kowalczyk
  • Patent number: 8107812
    Abstract: An optical keyless entry sensor system and method includes an optical sensor in association with a mirror that reflects light transmitted from the optical sensor, wherein reflected light is detectable by the optical sensor. An attenuation filter can be located between the mirror and the optical sensor, wherein the attenuation filter is configured to simulate a contamination of the optical sensor in order to determine an exact level of attenuation representative of contamination that causes a performance failure of the optical sensor, thereby providing data which is indicative of a dynamic range of the optical sensor, such that the dynamic range is utilized to enhance the performance of the optical keyless entry sensor system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: Wenwei Zhang
  • Patent number: 8045252
    Abstract: A spatial light modulator comprises an integrated optical compensation structure, e.g., an optical compensation structure arranged between a substrate and a plurality of individually addressable light-modulating elements, or an optical compensation structure located on the opposite side of the light-modulating elements from the substrate. The individually addressable light-modulating elements are configured to modulate light transmitted through or reflected from the transparent substrate. Methods for making such spatial light modulators involve fabricating an optical compensation structure over a substrate and fabricating a plurality of individually addressable light-modulating elements over the optical compensation structure. The optical compensation structure may be a passive optical compensation structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: QUALCOMM MEMS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Clarence Chui, Jeffrey B. Sampsell, William J. Cummings, Ming-Hau Tung
  • Patent number: 8031337
    Abstract: An angularly resolved scatterometer uses a broadband radiation source and an acousto-optical tunable filter to select one or more narrowband components from the broadband beam emitted by the source for use in measurements. A feedback loop can be used to control the intensity of the selected narrowband components to reduce noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventor: Arie Jeffrey Den Boef
  • Patent number: 7944607
    Abstract: The subject matter of the invention is a method of high-resolution acousto-optic programmable filtering in the infrared region of an incident optical wave. To that end it proposes the use of a birefringent acousto-optic crystal whereof the propagation speed of acoustic waves is slow, such as compounds of mercury, which acousto-optic crystal comprises, on one of its faces, a piezoelectric transducer designed to generate a transverse acoustic wave with wave vector whereof the energy propagates according to the same axis but in the opposite direction to the energy of the incident optical wave, knowing that the optical wave resulting from the acousto-optic interaction between the incident optical wave and the acoustic wave with wave vector is diffracted perpendicularly or almost perpendicularly to the direction of the incident optical wave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Fastlite
    Inventor: Pierre Tournois
  • Patent number: 7894125
    Abstract: An acousto-optic module is provided, including a number of partially coupled optical resonators distributed within a dielectric medium and at least one acoustic transducer mounted on a surface of the dielectric medium for injecting an acoustic wave into the optical resonators so as to diffract light passing therethrough by means of Bragg diffraction. This acousto-optic module has been applied in particular to an improved tuneable optical filter in which an acoustic shear wave is generated and which travels through the acousto-optic module in a direction substantially parallel with a polarized light signal passing therethrough. The acousto-optic module is also applied to an improved optical frequency shifter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: BAE Systems
    Inventor: Roger Martin Langdon
  • Patent number: 7844145
    Abstract: A system includes a first Fabry-Perot interferometry channel and a second Fabry-Perot interferometry channel serially and optically coupled to the first Fabry-Perot interferometry channel. One channel of the first and second Fabry-Perot interferometry channels has a greater tuning range than the other channel of the first and second Fabry-Perot interferometry channels. The Fabry-Perot interferometry channel having the lesser tuning range has a greater tuning precision than the Fabry-Perot interferometry channel having the greater tuning range. The system may be included in a MEMS-based system, such as a MEMS spectrometer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Richard L. Waters
  • Publication number: 20100214648
    Abstract: An acousto-optical tunable filter is disclosed. The filter includes a medium having one or more indices of refractions alterable by the application of acoustic waves to the medium. The filter also includes an acoustic transducer coupled to the medium to generate the acoustic waves Altering the frequency of the acoustic wave selects among the different wavelengths in the incident light ray. The device also includes an optical mirror for reflecting a wave diffracted by the medium back to the medium so that it can again be diffracted. The first diffracted wave has its frequency shifted in one direction by the frequency of the acoustic wave while the second diffracted wave has its frequency shifted in the opposite direction, thereby compensating for the first shift. The result is an output ray with little or no frequency shift.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2009
    Publication date: August 26, 2010
    Inventor: Peiliang GAO
  • Patent number: 7683300
    Abstract: A system and method provides high speed variable attenuators. The attenuators can be used within a lithographic apparatus to control intensity of radiation in one or more correction pulses used to correct a dose of the radiation following an initial pulse of radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignees: ASML Netherlands B.V., ASML Holding N.V.
    Inventors: Oscar Franciscus Jozephus Noordman, Justin L. Kreuzer
  • Patent number: 7639910
    Abstract: An optical module is configured with a combination of a single-mode oscillating light source and an optical filter. In this optical module, the single-mode oscillating light source outputs a single-mode, frequency-modulated signal. Further, the optical filter converts the frequency modulation to an amplitude modulation. And, the single-mode oscillating light source and the optical filter are packaged without active alignment on the same substrate. Accordingly, it is possible to realize an optical module in a simple and low-cost configuration by packaging the single-mode oscillating light source and the optical filter by passive alignment, without active alignment, on the same substrate, and by using a simple optical filter such as a waveguide ring resonator, which converts a frequency modulation to an amplitude modulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2009
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Yamazaki, Takaaki Hatanaka
  • Publication number: 20090284826
    Abstract: An acousto-optic module is provided, including a number of partially coupled optical resonators distributed within a dielectric medium and at least one acoustic transducer mounted on a surface of the dielectric medium for injecting an acoustic wave into the optical resonators so as to diffract light passing therethrough by means of Bragg diffraction. This acousto-optic module has been applied in particular to an improved tuneable optical filter in which an acoustic shear wave is generated and which travels through the acousto-optic module in a direction substantially parallel with a polarised light signal passing therethrough. The acousto-optic module is also applied to an improved optical frequency shifter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2007
    Publication date: November 19, 2009
    Inventor: Roger Martin Langdon
  • Patent number: 7570358
    Abstract: An angularly resolved scatterometer uses a broadband radiation source and an acousto-optical tunable filter to select one or more narrowband components from the broadband beam emitted by the source for use in measurements. A feedback loop can be used to control the intensity of the selected narrowband components to reduce noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV
    Inventor: Arie Jeffrey Den Boef
  • Patent number: 7535617
    Abstract: A portable acousto-optical (AO) spectrometer system comprised of at least one AO crystal cell device specially designed for cancellation of side-lobe noise at a desired tuned wavelength of operation. Each AO crystal cell device has a transducer attached and forms an AO tunable filter (AOTF) and forms part of a photo-head assembly. The system can include an optical fiber link between the AO spectrometer photo-head assembly and additional features such as an optical alignment coupling attachment that couple an excitation source such as a laser that operates in either pulse or continuous mode, a probing fiber that provides a hand-held member that can emit a source radiation and in turn observe radiation reflected from an observed sample. There are two embodiment of the AO crystal cell device. Either embodiment of the AO crystal cell design can be used in the system, providing a vibration-insensitive AO spectrometer instrument having high sensitivity, accuracy and resolution capabilities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Neelam Gupta, Vladislov I Pustovoit
  • Patent number: 7527680
    Abstract: Data of a barometric pressure that a barometric pressure sensor outputs, and data of an air volume that an air-volume sensor outputs are input into a system control circuit. The system control circuit is provided with a table storing portion. In the table storing portion, a control table is stored. The control table is formed of a plus supplied-voltage value to fan power set by a barometric pressure value and an air-volume value, and a warning instruction. In a case that the warning instruction is selected based on the barometric pressure value and the air-volume value, the system control circuit turns on a warning-use LED so as to inform a user that a filter is clogged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirotake Horiguchi, Takeshi Higashino, Ryosuke Sato
  • Publication number: 20090080061
    Abstract: The subject matter of the invention is a method of high-resolution acousto-optic programmable filtering in the infrared region of an incident optical wave. To that end it proposes the use of a birefringent acousto-optic crystal whereof the propagation speed of acoustic waves is slow, such as compounds of mercury, which acousto-optic crystal comprises, on one of its faces, a piezoelectric transducer designed to generate a transverse acoustic wave with wave vector whereof the energy propagates according to the same axis but in the opposite direction to the energy of the incident optical wave, knowing that the optical wave resulting from the acousto-optic interaction between the incident optical wave and the acoustic wave with wave vector is diffracted perpendicularly or almost perpendicularly to the direction of the incident optical wave.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2008
    Publication date: March 26, 2009
    Applicant: Fastlite
    Inventor: Pierre Tournois
  • Publication number: 20090073543
    Abstract: An acousto-optic (AO) frequency shifter includes an anisotropic crystal having an optical axis and an input face, and an acoustic transducer having electrodes affixed to the face for receiving an electrical signal and projecting an acoustic wave into the crystal. The anisotropic crystal is cut relative to the face so that the transducer is at an acoustic angle (?a) corresponding to a predetermined angle of incidence (?i) of an optical beam to be directed relative to the optic axis of the anisotropic crystal to substantially satisfy the parallel tangents phase matching condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2007
    Publication date: March 19, 2009
    Applicant: GOOCH AND HOUSEGO PLC
    Inventors: CHRISTOPHER N. PANNELL, JONATHAN DAVID WARD
  • Patent number: 7479966
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to Method and Apparatus for Super Montage Large area Spectroscopic Imaging. In one embodiment of the disclosure, a method for producing a spectroscopic image of an object includes the steps of (a) irradiating the object with light to thereby produce from the object scattered and/or emitted light for each of a plurality of wavelengths; (b) producing separately for each of the plurality of wavelengths a plurality of substantially contiguous sub-images of the object; (c) compensating for spatial aberrations in ones of the sub-images for a select one of the plurality of wavelengths; (d) compensating for intensity aberrations between ones of the substantially contiguous sub-images for one of the plurality of wavelengths; and (e) combining the sub-images for the select one wavelength to thereby produce said spectroscopic image of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: ChemImage Corporation
    Inventors: John S. Maier, Jason H. Neiss
  • Patent number: 7474324
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a printing apparatus using an order-separation type optical modulator. The printing apparatus includes an illumination lens system, a diffraction type optical modulator, a filter system, and a projection system. The illumination lens system converts light, which is output from a light source, into linear light and outputs linear, parallel light, the diffraction type optical modulator performs desired modulation on the linear, parallel light emitted from the illumination lens system and forms diffracted light having a plurality of diffraction orders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2009
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Haeng Seok Yang
  • Patent number: 7463301
    Abstract: A plane parallel plate 91 constituted with optical glass and disposed further frontward relative to an image-capturing element 10 is caused to swing and vibrate by alternately expanding and contracting piezoelectric elements 92a and 92c. As the plane parallel plate 91 becomes slanted relative to the image-capturing element 10, the angle of incidence of subject light 20 changes, causing the position of the subject image projected on the image-capturing element 10 to move from point A to point B. As a result, the image forming position vibrates parallel to the x-axis, thereby enabling the plane parallel plate 91 to function as a low pass filter for the spatial frequency manifesting along the x direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2008
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuo Shimizu
  • Patent number: 7405859
    Abstract: A wavelength selecting apparatus includes a wavelength selecting filter and that a monitoring filter are similar acousto-optic tunable filters; a light source that outputs light having a specific wavelength to the monitoring filter; a light receiving unit that detects a wavelength of light that has passed the monitoring filter; and a control unit that outputs, to the wavelength selecting filter, a control signal having a control frequency to selectively pass light of a desirable wavelength. The light source includes a light emitting element that emits light of a wide wavelength band; and an optical filter having at least two transmission bands through which the light passes to the monitoring filter. The control unit, based on at least two wavelengths of the light output by the light source, outputs a control signal having a control frequency corresponding to the desirable wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2008
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Yutaka Takita
  • Patent number: 7405858
    Abstract: An AOTF control apparatus, which applies an RF signal to an AOTF to allow a selected light to pass through the AOTF, includes: a first calculating unit calculating a relationship between a frequency of the RF signal and a wavelength of the selected light based on a frequency of the RF signal that allows a reference light to pass through the AOTF; and a second calculating unit calculating a relationship between a power of the RF signal and an attenuation amount of the selected light based on an input/output power of the reference signal at the input/output of the AOTF.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2008
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Masaji Noguchi, Tomohiro Ueno, Goji Nakagawa, Yutaka Kai
  • Patent number: 7391008
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for wavelength-dependent detection are provided. A detector includes a hybrid filter having unpatterned and patterned filter layers and at least one light-detecting sensor that detects light in first and second wavelength bands from the patterned filter layer of the hybrid filter. The unpatterned filter layer passes light in two nonoverlapping wavelength bands relative to light in wavelength bands between or among the nonoverlapping wavelength bands. The patterned filter layer includes first and second regions configured respectively to pass light in the first and second wavelength bands of the nonoverlapping wavelength bands passed by the unpatterned filter layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Julie E. Fouquet, Rene P. Helbing
  • Patent number: 7343056
    Abstract: An acoustooptic filter 1 having an optical waveguide 3 disposed on an upper surface 2a of an acoustooptic substrate 2, an interdigital electrode 4 which excites a surface wave disposed on the acoustooptic substrate 2, a surface wave waveguide for the surface wave excited by the interdigital electrode 4 extends in substantially the same direction as the optical waveguide, and a mode of the light guided to the optical waveguide 3 is converted by the surface wave. The acoustooptic filter 1 includes a thin-film ridge 5 as a phase match condition changer that changes a phase match condition at a mutual action area by 0.235% or more from a state in which phases are matched, the mutual action area being an area where the surface acoustic wave and the light guided to the optical waveguide 3 act upon each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2008
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kiyokazu Yamada
  • Publication number: 20080055712
    Abstract: The invention is concerned with a filter system for a light source in a lithography process for the production of semiconductor devices with a flowing absorber gas for at least one wavelength (?) in the range between 20 to 250 nm, the flowing absorber gas intersecting the light path emitted by the light source. Furthermore, the invention is concerned with a lithography apparatus for processing semiconductor substrates, the use of a filter system, a method for filtering light and a semiconductor device manufactured by the method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2006
    Publication date: March 6, 2008
    Inventors: Christoph Noelscher, Sven Trogisch
  • Patent number: 7326915
    Abstract: A broadband light source, such as a light-emitting diode (LED), such as a superluminescent light-emitting diode (SLED), has its mean wavelength stabilized by using a filter to pass a characteristic of the output of the source, detecting the filtered output, and adjusting a parameter affecting the wavelength of the source, such as drive current or temperature. A Gaussian or near-Gaussian filter can be used to obtain an intensity detection, or two narrowband filters can be used where one filter passes a wavelength greater, and one passes a wavelength less, than the desired mean wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: EM4, Inc.
    Inventors: Mikhail Kaluzhny, Alex Rosiewicz
  • Patent number: 7327896
    Abstract: A hyperspectral imaging system is tested in the lab to allow a determination of its response to the emission from a simulated target, of certain wavelengths of radiation which the imaging system will be using during target determination. A broadband IR wavelength generator is used to generate a multiplicity of wavelengths representing the target and an emissions simulator is used to generate wavelengths representing target emission of hot gases. An AOTF is used to delete one or more target wavelengths, and to add one or more emission wavelengths, from and to the transmission path to the imaging system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
    Inventors: Narsingh B. Singh, Tracy-Ann Waite, David Kahler, Andre Berghmans
  • Patent number: 7324265
    Abstract: An optical tunable filter that includes an tunable acousto-opto deflector (AOD) for deflecting a broad band beam to an expander for projecting the broad band beam to a set of grating for generated a tuned output beam corresponding to a deflection from the AOD and a wavelength resolution of the set of gratings. The AOD further includes an RF driver for tuning the AOD with an RF driving signal. The AOD further comprises a directional tuning acousto-optic crystal. The optical beam expander further includes a first and a second beam expanding prisms that composed of a material suitable for a dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) application over a wavelength range covering S, C and L bands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: NeoPhotonics, Inc.
    Inventor: Raymond R. Chu
  • Patent number: 7295716
    Abstract: A method for image relighting is presented which receives an input image having at least one spurious edge directly resulting from a first illumination present when the input image was acquired, performs anisotropic diffusion on the input image to form a diffusion image, removes the first illumination using the diffusion image to generate a reflectance image and applies a second illumination to the reflectance image. An apparatus for relighting is presented which includes a processor operably coupled to memory storing input image having a first illumination present when the input image was acquired, and functional processing including an anisotropic diffusion module to perform anisotropic diffusion on the input image to form a diffusion image, a combination module which removes the first illumination using the diffusion image to generate a reflectance image, a second illumination module which generates a second illumination, and a lighting application model which applies the second illumination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2007
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Troy Chinen, Thomas Leung
  • Patent number: 7233029
    Abstract: An optical functional film comprises a multilayer film formed by stacking a plurality of films. The plurality of films are formed by a same material and refractive indices of adjacent films are different.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2007
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Fumihiko Mochizuki
  • Patent number: 7206120
    Abstract: A dynamic beam splitter including a beam deflector having a plurality of operative regions, the beam deflector being operative to receive a laser beam at a first one of the plurality of operative regions, the laser beam passing through the beam deflector, and to selectably direct the laser beam in response to a control input signal to pass through the beam deflector a second time. Methods for splitting a beam and for manufacturing an electrical circuit employing the dynamic beam splitter are also enclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2007
    Assignee: Orbtech Ltd.
    Inventors: Abraham Gross, Zvi Kotler, Eliezer Lipman, Dan Alon
  • Patent number: 7102809
    Abstract: Acoustic-optic devices which use a crystal of tellurium into which is launched acoustic shear waves by a lithium niobate transducer in accordance with an input RF signal. Tellurium used in the devices exhibits a figure of merit in the range of around 5,000 to 10,000.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
    Inventor: Narsingh B. Singh
  • Patent number: 7057799
    Abstract: An optical tunable filter that includes a thin-film filter for band-passing at least two bands of wavelengths. The tunable filter further includes a tunable band-passing device tunable over the at least two bands for tuning to a tunable pass-band spectrally overlapped with one of the at least two bands. The tunable band-passing device further includes an Acousto-optical cell tunable with acoustic wave signals. The thin-film filter cooperating with the tunable band-pass device for generating a tunable output waveform that has substantially a square waveform spectrally corresponding to the at least two bands. The thin-film filter further cooperates with the tunable band-pass device for generating a tunable output waveform having substantially a square waveform over a spectral range of a C-band, an L-band and an S-band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: Acceeze, Inc.
    Inventor: Raymond R. Chu
  • Patent number: 6930813
    Abstract: Disclosed is the application of spatial filters and beam energy homogenizing systems in ellipsometer and the like systems prior to a sample system. The purpose is to eliminate a radially outer annulus of a generally arbitrary intensity profile, so that electromagnetic beam intensity is caused to quickly decay to zero, rather than, for instance, demonstrate an irregular profile as a function of radius.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2005
    Assignee: J.A. Woollam Co. Inc.
    Inventors: Martin M. Liphardt, Blaine D. Johs, Craig M. Herzinger, Ping He, James D. Welch