Harmonic Generator Patents (Class 359/328)
  • Patent number: 8422120
    Abstract: A wavelength conversion element is provided as one including a monocrystalline nonlinear optical crystal. The nonlinear optical crystal has: a plurality of first regions having a polarity direction along a predetermined direction; a plurality of second regions having a polarity direction opposite to the predetermined direction; an entrance face into which a fundamental incident wave having a wavelength ? and a frequency ? is incident in a direction substantially perpendicular to the predetermined direction; and an exit face from which a second harmonic with a frequency 2? generated in the crystal emerges. The plurality of first and second regions are formed as alternately arranged in a period substantially equal to d expressed by a predetermined expression, between the entrance face and the exit face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignees: Nikon Corporation, National Institute for Materials Science
    Inventors: Kenichi Muramatsu, Sunao Kurimura
  • Patent number: 8422119
    Abstract: A nonlinear optical system may include optics, a non-linear optical crystal, and a uni-axial focusing element. The non-linear optical crystal is configured to generate an output beam from a non-linear optical interaction with an input beam. The optics are configured to image the input beam to an original input beam waist within the non-linear optical crystal, whereby the output beam has an original output beam waist. The uni-axial focusing element is optically coupled to the non-linear optical crystal. The uni-axial focusing element is configured so that the output beam has a new output beam waist at approximately the same location as the original output beam waist.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Disco Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory L. Keaton, Manuel J. Leonardo, Mark A. Arbore
  • Patent number: 8411353
    Abstract: There is provided an optical frequency converter comprising: an optical guiding structure having an input and an output, and comprising: a first grating portion adjacent to the input; a second grating portion adjacent to output, and a third grating between the first and second grating portion to form an apodized step-chirped grating extending between the input and the output. Each grating portion comprises a plurality of sections each comprising a plurality of segments. Each segment has a segment width and comprises a poled region having a poled width at least equal to one micron and a reversely poled region. The segment width for all of the grating portions and a duty ratio of the poled width to the segment width are constant within each section. The duty ratio increases within the first grating portion, decreases within the second grating portion, and is constant within the third grating portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Polyvalor, Limited Partnerhsip
    Inventors: Raman Kashyap, Amirhossein Tehranchi
  • Patent number: 8411352
    Abstract: Master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) apparatus includes two seed-pulse sources coupled to a single fiber amplifier including one or more stages of amplification. One of the seed-pulse sources is a single-mode source generating pulses having a duration selectively variable between about 0.1 ns and 10 ns. The other seed-pulse source is a multi-mode source generating pulses having a duration selectively variable between about 1 ns and 10 ?s. Selectively operating one or the other of the seed-pulse sources provides that the apparatus can deliver pulses selectively variable in a range between about 0.1 ns and 10 ?s.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Coherent, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrei Starodoumov, Norman Hodgson
  • Publication number: 20130077086
    Abstract: An improved solid-state laser for generating 193 nm light is described. This laser uses the 6th harmonic of a fundamental wavelength near 1160 nm to generate the 193 nm light. The laser mixes the 1160 nm fundamental wavelength with the 5th harmonic, which is at a wavelength of approximately 232 nm. By proper selection of non-linear media, such mixing can be achieved by nearly non-critical phase matching. This mixing results in high conversion efficiency, good stability, and high reliability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2012
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation
    Inventors: Yung-Ho Chuang, Vladimir Dribinski, J. Joseph Armstrong
  • Patent number: 8390922
    Abstract: A high index contrast waveguide based source for radiation. In some embodiments, the radiation is in the 0.5-14 Terahertz regime. Waveguides are provided that permit the generation of radiation at the sum and/or difference frequency of two input beams. In order to control the power level within the waveguide, embodiments in which pluralities of similar or identical waveguide are provided, and the input radiation is divided among the plurality of waveguides. The output radiation can be steered by applying phased array methods and principles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: University of Washington
    Inventors: Tom Baehr-Jones, Michael J. Hochberg
  • Patent number: 8390920
    Abstract: A laser device, includes: a fundamental wave generating portion configured to generate a plurality of fundamental waves having wavelengths which are different from each other in at least one set thereof, the fundamental wave generating portion having a semiconductor laser having a plurality of luminous points, and a Bragg reflection structure; and a nonlinear optical element in which a poling structure adapted to pseudophase matching for the wavelengths of the plurality of fundamental waves emitted from the fundamental wave generating portion, respectively, is formed variatively along a propagating direction of the plurality of fundamental waves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kaoru Kimura, Akio Furukawa, Michio Oka
  • Patent number: 8385377
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser device includes a semiconductor laser element configured to emit a fundamental wave; a transducer configured to receive the fundamental wave incident thereon and convert a wavelength of the fundamental wave to emit wavelength converted light; a filter configured to selectively transmit wavelength range light having a desired wavelength range of the wavelength converted light; a sealing member including a light-transmitting member and configured to enclose the semiconductor laser element, the light-transmitting member being configured to receive the wavelength range light transmitted through the filter and incident on the light-transmitting member, specularly reflect part of the wavelength range light, and substantially transmit the remaining part of the wavelength range light; and a photoreceptor configured to receive the specularly reflected light from the light-transmitting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Soejima, Takuya Nagai, Toru Yoshida
  • Patent number: 8379296
    Abstract: CdSiP2 crystals with sizes and optical quality suitable for use as nonlinear optical devices are disclosed, as well as NLO devices based thereupon. A method of growing the crystals by directional solidification from a stoichiometric melt is also disclosed. The disclosed NLO crystals have a higher nonlinear coefficient than prior art crystals that can be pumped by solid state lasers, and are particularly useful for frequency shifting 1.06 ?m, 1.55 ?m, and 2 ?m lasers to wavelengths between 2 ?m and 10 ?m. Due to the high thermal conductivity and low losses of the claimed CdSiP2 crystals, average output power can exceed 10 W without severe thermal lensing. A 6.45 ?m laser source for use as a medical laser scalpel is also disclosed, in which a CdSiP2 crystal is configured for non-critical phase matching, pumped by a 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser, and temperature-tuned to produce output at 6.45 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventors: Peter G Schunemann, Kevin T Zawilski
  • Patent number: 8373924
    Abstract: Fundamental-wavelength pulses from a fiber a laser are divided into three or more pulse portions and the three or more portions are separately amplified. Two or more of the amplified fundamental-wavelength pulse-portions are combined and frequency-doubled. The frequency doubled portion is sum-frequency mixed with one or more of the other amplified fundamental wavelength pulse-portions to provide third-harmonic radiation pulses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Coherent, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrei Starodoumov, Norman Hodgson, Dmitri Simanovski
  • Patent number: 8369003
    Abstract: A single-pass optical parametric amplifier is provided. The single-pass optical parametric amplifier comprises a light source emitting a fundamental wave having a wavelength range; a nonlinear material, which the fundamental wave passes therethrough to form a second harmonic generation wave having a light path; a supercontinuum generator extending the wavelength range of the fundamental wave to form a supercontinuum generation seed; and an optical parametric wavelength transformer transforming the supercontinuum generation seed and the second harmonic generation wave into a signal wave and an idler wave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: National Taiwan University
    Inventors: Yen-Yin Lin, Yan-Wei Tzeng, Chen-Han Huang, Jian-Ming Liu, Shi-Wei Chu
  • Publication number: 20130027945
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an optical element is provided with a paraelectric crystal, first and second pressers between which the paraelectric crystal is sandwiched, and fasteners. The paraelectric crystal has a periodic structure in which polarities are periodically inverted along a polarity period direction. The fasteners fix the first and second pressers to each other so that a predetermined pressure is applied in a direction intersecting with the polarity period direction, to the paraelectric crystal through the first and second pressers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2012
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Applicants: National Institute For Materials Science, Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Nikon Corporation, National Institute For Materials Science
  • Publication number: 20130021602
    Abstract: A mode-locked laser system operable at low temperature can include an annealed, frequency-conversion crystal and a housing to maintain an annealed condition of the crystal during standard operation at the low temperature. In one embodiment, the crystal can have an increased length. First beam shaping optics can be configured to focus a beam from a light source to an elliptical cross section at a beam waist located in or proximate to the crystal. A harmonic separation block can divide an output from the crystal into beams of different frequencies separated in space. In one embodiment, the mode-locked laser system can further include second beam shaping optics configured to convert an elliptical cross section of the desired frequency beam into a beam with a desired aspect ratio, such as a circular cross section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2012
    Publication date: January 24, 2013
    Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation
    Inventors: Vladimir Dribinski, Yung-Ho Alex Chuang, J. Joseph Armstrong, John Fielden
  • Patent number: 8358460
    Abstract: A QPM waveguide includes an optical substrate having periodic domain-inverted regions and non-inverted regions which are arranged alternately, and a waveguide part passing through the domain-inverted regions and non-inverted regions. The substrate is divided into at least two sections each of which has a wave input facet and a wave output facet. At least one band-pass filter layer is disposed on the wave input facet of one section to filter out a signal wave for preventing back conversion so that the energy of the conversion wave can increase. A method for preventing the back conversion is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: I Shou University
    Inventors: Shih-Chiang Lin, Nai-Hsiang Sun, Po-Jui Chiang
  • Patent number: 8349222
    Abstract: Unconventional twisted ?-electron system electro-optic (EO) chromophores/compounds, compositions and related device structures. Crystallographic analysis of several non-limiting chromophores reveals, for instance, large ring-ring dihedral twist angles and a highly charge-separated zwitterionic structure in the ground state, in both solution phase and solid-state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Northwestern University
    Inventors: Tobin J. Marks, Hu Kang
  • Patent number: 8351108
    Abstract: A wavelength conversion laser has: an exciting LD1, a solid state laser including a resonator, and a wavelength conversion element 7 disposed in the resonator. The solid state laser includes a first laser medium and a second laser medium as at least two types of laser media, and is configured to oscillate the solid state laser beams of the first emission wavelength and the second emission wavelength in the resonator as a result of the excitation light entering a region 3 configured from the first laser medium, thereafter entering a region 4 configured from the second laser medium, and subsequently entering a region 5 configured from the first laser medium. The wavelength conversion element 7 simultaneously generates a second harmonic and a sum frequency of the first emission wavelength and the second emission wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuro Mizushima, Tatsuo Itoh, Kenji Nakayama, Koichi Kusukame, Tomoya Sugita
  • Patent number: 8339697
    Abstract: A wavelength conversion laser light source includes a fundamental wave laser light source (1) to generate a fundamental wave; a first mirror and a second mirror (4, 5), arranged so as to oppose each other; a wavelength conversion element (3) which is arranged between the first mirror and the second mirror and converts the wavelength of the fundamental wave; and a temperature control portion (8) to control the temperature of the wavelength conversion element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Horikawa, Hiroyuki Furuya, Tetsuro Mizushima, Koichi Kusukame, Tomoya Sugita, Kazuhisa Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20120320447
    Abstract: There is provided a semiconductor laser that includes a dielectric multilayer mirror (116) with a structure including high-refractive-index dielectric layers and low-refractive-index dielectric layers arranged periodically, and a cavity (110) that includes the dielectric multilayer mirror (116), on at least one facet thereof, and an active layer (105). A non-linear layer that is non-linear with respect to primary mode laser light is formed in at least one layer of either the high-refractive-index dielectric layers or the low-refractive-index dielectric layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Applicant: FURUKAWA ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Keishi TAKAKI, Hirotatsu ISHII, Norihiro IWAI, Shinya OOTOMO
  • Publication number: 20120307350
    Abstract: A wavelength conversion element is provided as one including a monocrystalline nonlinear optical crystal. The nonlinear optical crystal has: a plurality of first regions having a polarity direction along a predetermined direction; a plurality of second regions having a polarity direction opposite to the predetermined direction; an entrance face into which a fundamental incident wave having a wavelength ? and a frequency ? is incident in a direction substantially perpendicular to the predetermined direction; and an exit face from which a second harmonic with a frequency 2? generated in the crystal emerges. The plurality of first and second regions are formed as alternately arranged in a period substantially equal to d expressed by a predetermined expression, between the entrance face and the exit face.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2012
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Applicants: NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR MATERIALS SCIENCE, NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenichi MURAMATSU, Sunao Kurimura
  • Publication number: 20120300286
    Abstract: Various methods and systems are provided for generation of higher harmonics of monochromatic electromagnetic radiation. In one embodiment, among others, a system includes a double array of planar structures including a first periodically structured planar structure having a periodic spacing corresponding to a resonant frequency and a second periodically structured planar structure in parallel with the first structure. The system also includes a source configured to illuminate the first structure with a beam of monochromatic electromagnetic radiation at the resonant frequency to produce a higher harmonic of the monochromatic electromagnetic radiation. In another embodiment, a method includes directing a beam of monochromatic electromagnetic radiation at a resonant frequency at a double array of planar structures and generating a higher harmonic of the monochromatic electromagnetic radiation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2012
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Applicant: UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC.
    Inventors: Sergei V. Shabanov, Remy Friends Ndangali
  • Publication number: 20120292531
    Abstract: An optical source (10) comprising an optical output (12), a pump optical source (14), an optical splitter arranged to receive an optical signal from the pump optical source and to split the optical signal into a pump signal and a seed pump signal. A seed signal forming apparatus (18) is arranged to receive the seed pump signal at the pump wavelength and to transform the seed pump signal into a seed signal at a seed wavelength. A first microstructured optical fibre (MSF1) (20) is arranged to receive the pump signal and the seed signal. MSF1 is arranged to cause the pump signal to undergo four-wave mixing seeded by the seed signal on transmission through MSF1 such that a first optical signal at a signal wavelength and second optical signal at an idler wavelength are generated. One of the signal wavelength and the idler wavelength are the seed wavelength and one of the first and second optical signals are provided to the optical output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2011
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Inventors: Anatoly Grudinin, John Clowes, Pascal Dupriez, Michael Yarrow
  • Patent number: 8305681
    Abstract: The invention is directed to the provision of a wavelength conversion-type ultraviolet light source apparatus that can obtain a stable output. A light source apparatus according to one mode of the invention includes: a laser light source 1 which produces fundamental light L1; at least one nonlinear optical crystal 3 which takes the fundamental light L1 or a harmonic thereof as incident light and outputs wavelength-converted light L2; and polarization adjusting means 2 which is placed in an optical path of the incident light and causes an output of the wavelength-converted light L2 to change by changing its refractive index for a polarized component of the incident light. The polarization adjusting means 2 changes the amount of change of the refractive index in accordance with an electrical signal output from a photodetector 7.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Lasertec Corporation
    Inventors: Jun Sakuma, Haruhiko Kusunose
  • Patent number: 8305679
    Abstract: A device for oscillating an electromagnetic wave having a frequency of 0.1 THz to 3 THz from pump and idler waves by a parametric effect. The device includes a supporting body, an oscillating substrate made of a non-linear optical crystal, and an adhesive layer adhering the supporting body and oscillating substrate. The oscillating substrate includes an upper face, a bottom face and an incident face on which the pump wave is made incident. The oscillating substrate provides cut-off with respect to the electromagnetic wave oscillated by the parametric effect when the pump and idler waves propagate in parallel with the bottom face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Jungo Kondo, Kenji Aoki, Yuichi Iwata, Tetsuya Ejiri
  • Patent number: 8300305
    Abstract: Crystals of the yttrium/aluminium/borate family are used for producing UV light. To produce UV light with the described crystal family a crystal of the family AxM1-xX3(BO3)4, wherein both A and also M stand for an element from the group Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu, A?M and X is selected from the group consisting of Al, Ga, Sc and 0?x?1, is used as a non-linear optical element to produce light of a wavelength of less than 0.450 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Forschungsinstitut fur Mineralische und Metallische Werkstoffe Edelstein/Edelmetalle GmbH
    Inventors: Daniel Rytz, Andreas Gross, Sophie Vernay, Volker Wesemann
  • Patent number: 8294978
    Abstract: A wavelength conversion device has a supporting body, a wavelength conversion substrate, a lower side buffer layer provided on the side of a bottom face of the substrate, a upper side buffer layer provided on the side of a upper face of the substrate, and an adhesive layer adhering the supporting body 8 and the lower side buffer layer. The wavelength conversion substrate is made of a Z-plate of a ferroelectric single crystal and a periodic polarization inversion structure formed therein. The supporting body has a volume resistivity lower than that of the ferroelectric single crystal of the wavelength conversion substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventor: Takashi Yoshino
  • Patent number: 8294979
    Abstract: A wavelength conversion device includes a laser light source that emits a fundamental wave; a wavelength conversion element that converts the fundamental wave into a second harmonic wave; and an optical system including a wavelength selective mirror that reflects the fundamental wave transmitted through the wavelength conversion element without being converted into the second harmonic wave, while transmitting therethrough the second harmonic wave generated by wavelength conversion, wherein the optical system makes the fundamental wave transmitted through the wavelength conversion element without being converted into the second harmonic wave enter the wavelength conversion element again to be subjected to wavelength conversion once or more than once, while being focused by the wavelength selective mirror, and the conversion efficiency in at least one of the second stage and stages subsequent to the second stage is higher than the conversion efficiency in the first stage, where the conversion efficiency in each
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Shikii, Kiminori Mizuuchi, Tetsuro Mizushima, Kazuhisa Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8284477
    Abstract: A lumped nanocircuit element design at IR and optical frequencies is provided that can effectively act as a lumped “diode” and a lumped “rectifier” for rectifying optical field displacement currents or optical electric field. The lumped nanocircuit element design can also act as a lumped second harmonic generator. The element is formed by juxtaposing an epsilon-negative nanoparticle with a nonlinear optical nanostructure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania
    Inventor: Nader Engheta
  • Publication number: 20120236394
    Abstract: An optical semiconductor element includes: a grating base layer including a projection-recess structure disposed over a substrate; and a grating cover layer including a group III-V semiconductor having three or more elements, wherein the grating cover layer includes a first region which is disposed over recessed portions of the grating base layer and which has a compositional ratio of a group III-V semiconductor having a first refractive index, and a second region which is disposed over projecting portions of the grating base layer and which has a compositional ratio of a group III-V semiconductor having a second refractive index that is smaller than the first refractive index, wherein the grating base layer includes a group III-V semiconductor having a third refractive index that is smaller than the first refractive index.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2012
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Applicant: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventor: Akinori Hayakawa
  • Patent number: 8270069
    Abstract: A UV light generator for receiving a baseband light beam from a baseband light source is provided. The UV light generator includes a first lens unit, a second lens unit, a first frequency doubling crystal and a second frequency doubling crystal. The baseband light beam from the baseband light source passes through the first lens unit. The first lens unit and the second lens unit control a minimum of baseband light spot position and a minimum of second harmonic light spot position. The first frequency doubling crystal is disposed between the first lens unit and the second lens unit, and located on the minimum of baseband light spot position. The second frequency doubling crystal is disposed between the first lens unit and the second lens unit, and located on the minimum of second harmonic light spot position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Hsin-Chia Su, Chien-Ming Huang, Yao-Wun Jhang, Chih-Li Chen
  • Patent number: 8270068
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus and systems for an up-converter resonant cavity light emitting diode device includes a semiconductor light source, an up-converter to form the light emitter with up-converting materials and an electrical source coupled with the semiconductor light source for providing electrical energy to the semiconductor light source to provide a desired wavelength emitted light. The semiconductor light source is a resonant cavity light emitting diode or laser that emits an approximately 975 mm wavelength to provide electrical and optical confinement to the semiconductor light source to form a resonant cavity up-converting light emitting diode (UC/RCLED). Rows and columns of electrodes provide active matrix addressing of plural sets of UC/RCLEDs for display devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: University of Central Florida Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Bass, Dennis G. Deppe
  • Patent number: 8264765
    Abstract: A light source including a light emitting unit, a nonlinear medium, and a resonant grating. The light emitting unit is arranged to emit a first light into the nonlinear medium. The nonlinear medium is arranged to generate a second light such that an optical frequency of the second light is higher than an optical frequency of the first light. The resonant grating is arranged to stabilize an optical frequency of the first light by providing optical feedback to the light emitting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: EpiCrystals Oy
    Inventors: Tuomas Vallius, Pietari Tuomisto, Janne Konttinen
  • Patent number: 8264766
    Abstract: A wavelength conversion element is provided as one including a monocrystalline nonlinear optical crystal. The nonlinear optical crystal has: a plurality of first regions having a polarity direction along a predetermined direction; a plurality of second regions having a polarity direction opposite to the predetermined direction; an entrance face into which a fundamental incident wave having a wavelength ? and a frequency ? is incident in a direction substantially perpendicular to the predetermined direction; and an exit face from which a second harmonic with a frequency 2? generated in the crystal emerges. The plurality of first and second regions are formed as alternately arranged in a period substantially equal to d expressed by a predetermined expression, between the entrance face and the exit face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignees: Nikon Corporation, National Institute for Materials Science
    Inventors: Kenichi Muramatsu, Sunao Kurimura
  • Publication number: 20120224252
    Abstract: A light conversion module includes a coupler for combining two light beams to form a combined light beam, a nonlinear crystal arranged to receive the combined light beam and configured to include a plurality of poling regions for performing successive nonlinear frequency mixing processes, a first optical device configured to focus the combined light beam onto the nonlinear crystal, a first moving stage carrying the nonlinear crystal and moving the nonlinear crystal for an adjustment of a focus position of the combined light beam on the nonlinear crystal, and an optical detector configured for measuring a power level of the light beam from the nonlinear crystal for the adjustment of the focus position of the combined light beam on the nonlinear crystal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2011
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Applicant: HC PHOTONICS CORP.
    Inventors: MING HSIEN CHOU, YING HAO SU
  • Patent number: 8259386
    Abstract: A wavelength conversion element having an improved property-maintaining life and a method for manufacturing the wavelength conversion element are provided. A wavelength conversion element 10a has an optical waveguide 13. The wavelength of incoming light 101 input from one end 13a of the optical waveguide 13 is converted and outgoing light 102 is output from the other end 13b of the optical waveguide 13. The wavelength conversion element includes a first crystal 11 composed of AlxGa(1-x)N (0.5?x?1); and a second crystal 12 having the same composition as that of the first crystal. The first and second crystals 11 and 12 form a domain-inverted structure in which a polarization direction is periodically reversed along the optical waveguide 13, and the domain-inverted structure satisfies quasi phase matching conditions with respect to the incoming light 101. At least one of the first and second crystals has a dislocation density of 1×103 cm?2 or more and less than 1×107 cm?2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Issei Satoh, Michimasa Miyanaga, Yoshiyuki Yamamoto, Hideaki Nakahata
  • Patent number: 8254421
    Abstract: A wavelength conversion laser light source includes a fundamental wave laser light source; a wavelength conversion element for converting a fundamental wave emitted from the fundamental wave laser light source into a harmonic wave; and an element temperature holding section for holding the wavelength conversion element at a temperature as set, wherein the element temperature holding section includes a magnetic metal formed on at least a part of the surface of the wavelength conversion element via an insulating material, and a magnetic flux application section for heating the magnetic metal with an application of a magnetic flux to the magnetic metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Furuya, Tetsuro Mizushima, Koichi Kusukame, Kenji Nakayama, Kazuhisa Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8248687
    Abstract: There is provided a wide-band optical amplifier (10) that is capable of amplifying a wide-band signal. The wide-band optical amplifier (10) includes a first amplifier (NOPA1) that emits, based on a to-be-amplified light beam having a predetermined range of wavelengths and a first pump beam (L2) having a first wavelength, the to-be-amplified light beam having a first range of amplified wavelengths, where the first range is a part of the predetermined range, and a second amplifier (NOPA2) that emits, based on the to-be-amplified light beam having the first range of amplified wavelengths and a second pump beam (L3) having a second wavelength different from the first wavelength, the to-be-amplified light beam having a second range of amplified wavelengths, where the second range is different from the first range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Kumiko Nishimura
  • Patent number: 8243764
    Abstract: The invention relates to a laser system including a nonlinear crystal having a first length portion and a second length portion. The nonlinear crystal disposed to receive input light from the laser for converting the input light into frequency converted light; wherein the nonlinear crystal is configured so that the first length portion of the nonlinear crystal is phase matching for the input light and the frequency converted light, and the second length portion of the nonlinear crystal is phase mismatching for the input light and the frequency converted light. Phase mismatching means may include a temperature controlling board, a clamp, or electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Inventors: Derek A. Tucker, Dahv Kliner, Lawrence E. Myers, Martin H. Muendel
  • Publication number: 20120194900
    Abstract: A second-harmonic generation nonlinear frequency converter includes a nonlinear optical crystal. The nonlinear optical crystal includes a plurality of sections. The sections connect to each other in sequence, and each section has a phase different from others. Each of the phases includes a positive domain and a negative domain. Each of the sections includes a plurality of quasi-phase-matching structures. The quasi-phase-matching structures connect to each other in sequence and have the same phase in one section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Publication date: August 2, 2012
    Applicant: ARIMA LASERS CORP.
    Inventors: Jiun-Wei LIOU, Jun-Ying LI, Chih-Ming LAI, Chern-Lin CHEN, Way-Seen WANG, Lung-Han PENG
  • Publication number: 20120188630
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a potassium chloroborate nonlinear optical crystal, a preparation method and a use thereof. The crystal has a chemical formula of K3B6O10Cl, has no symmetric center, belongs to rhombohedral crystal system, has a space group R3m with unit cell parameters of a=10.0624(14) ?, b=10.0624(14) ?, c=8.8361(18) ?, Z=3 and V=774.8(2) ?3. It has a powder second harmonic generation efficiency of about 3 times that of KDP (KH2PO4), and a Mohs hardness of 4-5, a transparent wavelength range of 165 nm-3460 nm. The compound is synthesized by a solid-state reaction and the crystal is grown by using a flux, which are of easy operation and low costs. The obtained crystal has large size, short growing period, little inclusion, relatively high mechanical hardness, and is easy to be cut, polished and stored. Said crystal is used to generate a second, third, fourth or fifth harmonic light output for a laser beam with a wavelength of 1064 nm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2011
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Applicant: The Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics & Chem Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Inventors: Shilie Pan, Hongping Wu, Xueling Hou
  • Patent number: 8223427
    Abstract: A method of fixing a polarization-reversed region formed in a ferroelectric single crystal, including preparing a ferroelectric single crystal having a polarization-reversed region; and irradiating an ion beam or a neutral beam on the ferroelectric single crystal. The ferroelectric single crystal is a substantially stoichiometric lithium tantalate single crystal or a substantially stoichiometric lithium niobate single crystal, and the polarization-reversed region is fixed and any back switch and expansion of the polarization-reversed region are suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: National Institute for Materials Science
    Inventors: Xiaoyan Liu, Shunji Takekawa, Kazuya Terabe, Shunichi Hishita, Kenji Kitamura
  • Patent number: 8208196
    Abstract: Various embodiments include modelocked fiber laser resonators that may be coupled with optical amplifiers. An isolator may separate the laser resonator from the amplifier, although certain embodiments exclude such an isolator. A reflective optical element on one end of the resonator having a relatively low reflectivity may be employed to couple light from the laser resonator to the amplifier. Enhanced pulse-width control may be provided with concatenated sections of both polarization-maintaining and non-polarization-maintaining fibers. Apodized fiber Bragg gratings and integrated fiber polarizers may be also be included in the laser cavity to assist in linearly polarizing the output of the cavity. Very short pulses with a large optical bandwidth may be obtained by matching the dispersion value of the fiber Bragg grating to the inverse of the dispersion of the intra-cavity fiber. Frequency comb sources may be constructed from such modelocked fiber oscillators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: IMRA America, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin E. Fermann, Ingmar Hartl, Gennady Imeshev
  • Publication number: 20120154902
    Abstract: The present invention generally relates to coherent, ultra-short ultraviolet (UV) or extended ultraviolet (XUV) pulse generation, and more particularly, to a highly bright re-focusable source capable of producing, at an adjustable rate comprised between 50 kHz and a few megahertz, femtosecond long pulses, in the ultraviolet or extended ultraviolet range. It comprises: —a fiber laser device adapted to produce laser beam comprising pulses, —an harmonic generator device comprising an interaction medium. The harmonic generator device and the fiber laser device are coupled so that the laser beam hits the interaction medium with a power of at least 10 13 W/cm2, so as to generate said UV-XUV pulses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2010
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Applicant: CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE - CNRS
    Inventors: Johan Boullet, Eric Constant, Eric Cormier
  • Patent number: 8199396
    Abstract: A laser light source includes a semiconductor laser, a wavelength converting element made of a non-linear optical crystal for converting excitation light from the semiconductor laser into wavelength converted light having a wavelength different from the wavelength of the excitation light, a photodiode for measuring a part of the wavelength converted light to be emitted from the wavelength converting element as output light, a photodiode for measuring the excitation light to be emitted from the wavelength converting element, and a control circuit, wherein the control circuit simultaneously performs an output constant control of making the intensity of the wavelength converted light constant, using a current driving circuit, and a temperature control of adjusting the temperature of the wavelength converting element, using a heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Koichi Kusukame, Hiroyuki Furuya, Tetsuro Mizushima, Kazuhisa Yamamoto, Shinichi Kadowaki
  • Patent number: 8194308
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and to an arrangement for the frequency conversion of coherent optical radiation with adjustable wavelength by way of a two-stage non-linear optical process. In the method and the arrangement, a frequency doubling is carried out in a first non-linear optical crystal (301, 302) and a sum frequency generation or a frequency doubling is carried out in a second non-linear optical crystal (401, 402) which is connected downstream. A positively birefringent crystal, in which the frequency doubling is carried out during a phase matching of type I from the extraordinary wave of the output frequency according to the <eeo> scheme, is used as the first non-linear optical crystal (301, 302). The second non-linear optical crystal (401, 402) is chosen such that phase matching is made possible by rotating the crystal in the same spatial plane in which the first crystal (301, 302) must also be rotated during a phase matching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Forderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Bernd Jungbluth, Marco Hofer, Jens Lohring
  • Publication number: 20120134012
    Abstract: A periodically poled optical waveguide comprising a nonlinear optical crystalline material is provided having poled optical domains slanted with respect to direction of propagation of light within the waveguide. Light reflected from slanted poled optical domains does not couple efficiently back into the optical waveguide, which facilitates reduction of backreflection towards a semiconductor laser source coupled to the waveguide. Reduction of backreflections facilitates stable operation of the semiconductor laser source. A method of manufacturing of a periodically poled optical waveguide with slanted poled domains is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2011
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Applicant: JDS Uniphase Corporation
    Inventors: Nicolas GUERIN, Boris Kharlamov, Robert Duval, Karl Kissa
  • Publication number: 20120127437
    Abstract: Optical systems operable to emit an output beam having fast-switched wavelengths are provided. In one embodiment, an optical system includes a laser and a wavelength conversion device. The laser emits a pump beam that switches between at least two fundamental spectral peaks at different wavelengths at a wavelength cycling period that is shorter than a response time of the human eye. The wavelength conversion device includes a non-linear optical medium configured to phase match the frequency doubling of the at least two switched fundamental spectral peaks such that an output beam that switches between at least two frequency-converted spectral peaks at different converted-wavelengths is emitted from an output facet of the wavelength conversion device when the pump beam of the optical source is incident on an input facet of the wavelength conversion device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2010
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Inventors: Dmitri Vladislavovich Kuksenkov, Shenping Li, Dragan Pikula, Rostislav Vatchev Roussev
  • Patent number: 8184360
    Abstract: A harmonic wave oscillating device having a supporting body, a wavelength converting layer, a lower side adhesive layer that adheres the wavelength converting layer and the supporting body, an upper side substrate provided on the side of an upper face of the wavelength converting layer, and an upper side adhesive layer that adheres the wavelength converting layer and the upper side substrate. The wavelength converting layer is made of a ferroelectric single crystal and has a channel type optical waveguide with a periodic polarization inversion structure formed therein. The wavelength converting layer has a width of 1.5 mm or smaller when viewed in a direction parallel to the wavelength converting layer and perpendicular to light propagating in the optical waveguide, and at least one of the supporting body and the upper side substrate has a volume resistivity lower than that of the ferroelectric single crystal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventor: Takashi Yoshino
  • Publication number: 20120120481
    Abstract: The present invention includes a fundamental laser light source configured to generate fundamental wavelength laser light, a first nonlinear optical crystal configured to generate first alternate wavelength light; a second nonlinear optical crystal configured to generate second alternate wavelength light; a dual wavelength Brewster angle waveplate configured to rotate a polarization of the first alternate wavelength light relative to the second alternate wavelength light such that the first and second alternate wavelength light have the same polarization; a set of Brewster angle wavefront processing optics configured to condition the first and second alternate wavelengths of light; a harmonic separator configured to separate the first alternate wavelength light from the second alternate wavelength light; and a Brewster angle output window configured to transmit the first or second alternate wavelengths of light from the interior of a laser frequency conversion system to the exterior of the laser frequency con
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2011
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Applicant: KLA-TENCOR CORPORATION
    Inventor: J. Joseph Armstrong
  • Patent number: 8179934
    Abstract: A laser assembly is configured with a frequency conversion laser head operative to shift a fundamental frequency of input light to the desired frequency of an output light. The frequency conversion laser head includes a dump means operative to guide an unconverted output light at the fundamental frequency outside the case of the frequency conversion laser head. The dump means is configured with a guide optics operative to couple the output light at the fundamental frequency to a fiber terminating outside the case of the frequency conversion laser head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: IPG Photonics Corporation
    Inventors: Denis V Gapontsev, Valentin P Gapontsev, Alexey Avdokhin
  • Publication number: 20120099184
    Abstract: A wavelength conversion laser light source having: a laser medium which generates a fundamental wave light; a laser resonator for causing laser oscillation of the fundamental wave light; a wavelength convertor which is provided with a wavelength converting region to convert the fundamental wave light under the laser oscillation by means of the laser resonator into converted light of a different wavelength; and an excitation laser light source for exciting the laser medium, wherein the laser resonator has at least one reflecting surface which reflects the fundamental wave, and a first reflecting element which is provided on an end surface of the wavelength convertor to reflect the fundamental wave light ; the wavelength converting region is situated between the at least one reflecting surface and the first reflecting element; the wavelength convertor has a periodic first polarization reversal structure formed in the wavelength converting region, and a non-converting region formed between the first reflecting e
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2011
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Horikawa, Koichi Kusukame, Tomoya Sugita, Hiroyuki Furuya