Beam Combination Or Separation Patents (Class 359/349)
  • Patent number: 12160082
    Abstract: In an example, the present invention provides an airplane or aerospace vehicle system configured with a high intensity pulse laser generation system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2024
    Assignee: Blue Laser Fusion, Inc.
    Inventors: Shuji Nakamura, Hiroaki Ohta
  • Patent number: 11923651
    Abstract: Techniques for improving gain equalization in C- and L-band (“C+L”) erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFAs) are provided. For example, the C- and L-band amplification sections of a C+L EDFA may be separated and configured in a parallel arrangement or a serial arrangement. For both the parallel and serial arrangements, the C- and L-band amplification sections may share a common gain flattening filter (GFF) or each amplification section may include and employ a separate GFF. Moreover, in some examples, an “interstage” L-band GFF may be located before or upstream of the L-band amplification section such that the L-band optical signal is gain-equalized or flattened prior to the L-band amplification section amplifying the L-band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: SubCom, LLC
    Inventors: Dmitri G. Foursa, Alexei N. Pilipetskii, Maxim A. Bolshtyansky, Gregory M. Wolter
  • Patent number: 11780027
    Abstract: Described herein is a system for processing a workpiece that includes a plurality of lasers that each produces a laser beam pulse. The system also includes a laser control module that sequences temporal characteristics of the laser beam pulses. Additionally, the system includes a laser beam compensation module that shapes a near field intensity profile of at least one of the laser beam pulses and adjusts a path length of at least one of the laser beam pulses. The system also includes at least one laser beam position element that combines the laser beam pulses to produce a combined laser beam pulse at a surface of the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Alan F. Stewart, Anthony J. Kay, Louis K. Zeldin, Andrea Koumvakalis
  • Patent number: 11477877
    Abstract: A system for generating extreme ultraviolet light, in which a target material inside a chamber is irradiated with a laser beam to be turned into plasma, includes a first laser apparatus configured to output a first laser beam, a second laser apparatus configured to output a pedestal and a second laser beam, and a controller connected to the first and second laser apparatuses and configured to cause the first laser beam to be outputted first, the pedestal to be outputted after the first laser beam, and the second laser beam having higher energy than the pedestal to be outputted after the pedestal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Nagano, Yasunori Wada, Tatsuya Yanagida, Osamu Wakabayashi
  • Patent number: 11433483
    Abstract: A multiple wavelength laser processing system is configured with a multiple wavelength laser source for generating a multiple wavelength coaxial laser processing beam. The laser processing system further includes a multiple wavelength optical system to deliver the coaxial laser processing beam to a laser-material interaction zone on the surface of a workpiece such that each of the first and a second laser wavelengths in the processing beam impinge at least a portion of the interaction zone as respective first and second concentric laser spots. The multiple wavelength optical system includes a multiple wavelength beam collimator, a configurable chromatic optic, and a laser processing focus lens, wherein the configurable chromatic optic provides an adjustment to the relative focus distance of the first and second laser wavelengths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: IPG PHOTONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Alexey Avdokhin, Pancho Tzankov, Andrei Babushkin, Jonathan Ehrmann, Jeffrey Kmetec
  • Patent number: 11372105
    Abstract: A system including one or more waveguides to receive a first returned reflection having a first lag angle and generate a first waveguide signal, receive a second returned reflection having a second lag angle different from the first lag angle, and generate a second waveguide signal. The system includes one or more photodetectors to generate a first output signal within a first frequency range, and generate, based on the second waveguide signal and a second LO signal, a second output signal within a second frequency range. The system includes an optical frequency shifter (OFS) to shift a frequency of the second LO signal to cause the second output signal to shift from within the second frequency range to within the first frequency range to generate a shifted signal. The system includes a processor to receive the shifted signal to produce one or more points in a point set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Aeva, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian J. Roxworthy, Pradeep Srinivasan, Ashwin Samarao
  • Patent number: 11296477
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and system for coherent beam combining (CBC) in high energy fiber laser (HEL) systems include generating a reference interference pattern of a signal source including at least two single-mode optical signals, capturing and evaluating the reference interference pattern, maximizing an intensity of the selected area of the captured, reference interference pattern, increasing a linewidth of the optical signals generating the reference interference pattern until the reference interference pattern is degraded, and adjusting a delay time of one of the at least two single-mode optical signals until the reference interference pattern is recovered, by adjusting a value of a delay of a delayed RF signal with a broaden linewidth to a respective EO linewidth broadening modulator in at least one channel of the at least two single-mode optical signals while evaluating the interference pattern on a display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Leonid A. Beresnev, Kristan P. Gurton, David A. Ligon, Anthony R. Valenzuela, Chatt C. Williamson
  • Patent number: 11150332
    Abstract: An optical sensing system includes a transmitter side and a receiver side, and is configured to be positioned below a display of an electronic device. The transmitter side includes a light emitter, a temperature sensor, and a photodiode. The receiver side includes a photodiode and a temperature sensor. The optical sensing system includes an application-specific integrated circuit that leverages the temperature sensors, the photodiodes, and one or more signal filters such as a high-pass filter to perform multiple field calibrations of the optical sensing system, thereby improving accuracy and precision thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Tong Chen, Dong Zheng, Mark T. Winkler, Stephen N. Sweet, Tsu-Hui Lin, Wenrui Cai
  • Patent number: 11143801
    Abstract: A diffractive optical element includes at least two diffractive structures situated next to one another, having differing functionalities, and being configured to, responsive to being irradiated independently of one another with incoherent laser light from beams of their respectively coupled laser sources, generate respective diffraction patterns that do not interfere with one another and that combine as an overall diffraction pattern in a far field. A method is provided for manufacturing such a diffractive optical element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Reinhold Fiess, Tobias Graf
  • Patent number: 11133637
    Abstract: A laser architecture for selectively producing short high-energy laser pulses having octave-spanning, continuous tunability. Two oppositely chirped pulses are used in combination with a pair of tunable pulse stretcher/compressors to produce a short, high-energy, tunable, broadband pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Michael H. Helle
  • Patent number: 10715251
    Abstract: A free-space optical (FSO) communication system includes a transmitter including a modulated light source and transmit optics for emitting a modulated optical signal into a FS channel toward a receiver. A receiver is coupled to receive the modulated optical signal including receive optics coupled to a few-mode (FM) pre-amplifier that is coupled to a demodulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: University of Central Florida Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventor: Guifang Li
  • Patent number: 10656429
    Abstract: In various embodiments, one or more prisms are utilized in a wavelength beam combining laser system to regulate beam size and/or to provide narrower wavelength bandwidth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: TERADIODE, INC.
    Inventors: Wang-Long Zhou, Bien Chann, Daniel Gary Dugmore, Mike Cruz
  • Patent number: 10374376
    Abstract: A divided pulse nonlinear optical source may be generated by combining nonlinear wave generation techniques with pulse division that can divide a parent pulse into N divided pulses, each divided pulse separate temporally. The N divided pulses can be passed into a nonlinear optical medium to generate an output. The output can include at least one output pulse for each divided pulse. The center wavelengths of each output pulse can be tuned so that each may have a center wavelength that is the same as, or differs from, each other output pulse. In some embodiments, the output pulses may be combined to generate the output. The output can be power scalable and wavelength tunable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignees: The Penn State Research Foundation, Atoptix, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhiwen Liu, Victor Bucklew, Perry Edwards, Chenji Zhang
  • Patent number: 10109976
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices are disclosed for divided-pulse lasers. In one aspect, a pulsed laser is provided to include a laser cavity including an optical amplifier and a plurality of optical dividing elements and configured to direct a laser pulse of linearly polarized light into the plurality of optical dividing elements to divide the light of the laser pulse into a sequence of divided pulses each having a pulse energy being a portion of the energy of the laser pulse before entry of the optical dividing elements, to subsequently direct the divided pulses into the optical amplifier to produce amplified divided pulses. The laser cavity is configured to direct the amplified divided pulses back into the plurality of optical dividing elements for a second time in an opposite direction to recombine the amplified divided pulses into a single laser pulse with greater pulse energy as an output pulse of the laser cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: Cornell University
    Inventors: Frank W. Wise, Erin Stranford Lamb, Logan Wright
  • Patent number: 10082627
    Abstract: An apparatus providing a terahertz (THz) wave may comprise at least one THz wave generator each of which generates a THz wave; at least one first phase adjuster adjusting a phase of the generated THz wave; at least one waveguide part receiving and combining the at least one phase-adjusted THz wave radiated from the at least one first phase adjuster, and guiding the combined THz wave; at least one second phase adjuster adjusting a phase of the combined THz wave from the at least one waveguide part, which is connected to the at least one waveguide part or disposed in a portion of the at least one waveguide part; and an output module outputting the THz wave guided from the at least one waveguide part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Kyung Hyun Park, Il Min Lee, Eui Su Lee, Ho Jin Lee, Sang Pil Han, Hyun Soo Kim, Ki Won Moon, Dong Woo Park
  • Patent number: 10039103
    Abstract: A method includes receiving a first optical signal at a first communication terminal from a second communication terminal through a free space optical link. The received optical signal contains a modulated unique frequency tone. The method also includes mixing the modulated unique frequency tone with a reference signal to provide a mixed output signal and determining a signal strength of the modulated unique frequency tone based on the mixed output signal. The reference signal includes a same frequency as the modulated unique frequency tone. The method adjusts an optical head of the first communication terminal to establish acquisition and optical beam pointing with the second communication terminal based on the signal strength of the modulated unique frequency tone received from the second communication terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: X Development LLC
    Inventors: Chiachi Wang, Sheng-Hui Yang, Romain Clement, Michael Sholl
  • Patent number: 10025107
    Abstract: Examples of combining multiple laser beams into a single laser beam by using a circular or spiral diffraction grating are described. The multiple laser beams can be combined coherently or incoherently depending on the geometrical layout of the laser beams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Inventor: Gerald Ho Kim
  • Patent number: 9703085
    Abstract: Projection optical system for forming an image on a substrate and including an illumination relay lens and a projection lens each of which is a catadioptric system. The projection lens may include two portions in optical communication with one another, the first of which is dioptric and the second of which is catadioptric. In a specific case, the projection optical system satisfies 4 < ? ? I ? ? ? T ? < 30 , where ?I and ?T are magnifications of the first portion and the overall projection lens. Optionally, the projection lens may be structured to additionally satisfy 6 < ? ? II ? ? ? T ? < 20 , where ?II is a magnification of the second portion. A digital scanner including such projection optical system and operating with UV light having a spectral bandwidth on the order of 1 picometer. Method for forming an image with such projection optical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: David M. Williamson
  • Patent number: 9638906
    Abstract: Projection optical system for forming an image on a substrate and including an illumination relay lens and a projection lens each of which is a catadioptric system. The projection lens may include two portions in optical communication with one another, the first of which is dioptric and the second of which is catadioptric. In a specific case, the projection optical system satisfies 4 < ? ? I ? ? ? T ? < 30 , where ?I and ?T are magnifications of the first portion and the overall projection lens. Optionally, the projection lens may be structured to additionally satisfy 6 < ? ? II ? ? ? T ? < 20 , where ?II is a magnification of the second portion. A digital scanner including such projection optical system and operating with UV light having a spectral bandwidth on the order of 1 picometer. Method for forming an image with such projection optical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: David M. Williamson
  • Patent number: 9615152
    Abstract: An optical element includes: a polarization splitter that splits light input from an input port into a first signal and a second signal according to a plane of polarization; a polarization rotator that rotates a plane of polarization of the second signal output from the polarization splitter by 90 degrees; a first optical coupler that combines the first signal output from the polarization splitter and the second signal output from the polarization rotator and splits the resultant signal into a third signal and a fourth signal with an equal amplitude; a phase controller that controls a phase of the third signal; and a second optical coupler that combines the third signal output from the phase controller and the fourth signal output from the first optical coupler and splits the resultant signal into a fifth signal and a sixth signal with an equal amplitude.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignees: FUJITSU LIMITED, PHOTONICS ELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH ASSOCIATION
    Inventor: Seokhwan Jeong
  • Patent number: 9601894
    Abstract: A fiber laser having an optical cavity that has an optical fiber and a curved mirror for imaging light leaving the fiber back into the fiber. The optical fiber has a round trip dispersion loss of less than 200000 fs2. The round trip length of the optical fiber is less than 2.3 m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Derryck Telford Reid, Carl Farrell
  • Patent number: 9508879
    Abstract: An apparatus according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a substrate, at least one semiconductor light-detector on the substrate and an optical waveguide on the substrate. The optical waveguide is configured to guide light to the at least one light-detector, one or more vias in a surface of the substrate or one or more ridges on the surface of the substrate. The one or more vias or ridges are configured to at least partially interrupt light propagating along the surface toward the at least one semiconductor light-detector from outside the optical waveguide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: Alcatel Lucent
    Inventors: Po Dong, Young-Kai Chen
  • Publication number: 20150146748
    Abstract: A high power ultrashort chirped pulse amplifier laser system, with a chirped pulse amplifier laser module including an optical pulse stretcher, at least one optical power amplifier, and an optical pulse compressor, and a beam interferometer module in the optical path. The beam interferometer receives splits the pulse into at least two pulses, adds a time delay to at least one of the pulses and recombines the pulses to produce a temporally modulated pulse. The resulting modulated output pulse from the CPA laser module can have enhanced laser contrast due to greatly reduced subpicosecond pedestal in the immediate region of the peak pulse, or can have other desirable characteristics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2014
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Applicant: The Government of the US, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Dmitri Kaganovich, Joseph R. Penano, Michael H. Helle, Antonio C. Ting, Daniel F. Gordon, Bahman Hafizi
  • Publication number: 20150146282
    Abstract: Wavelength-selective external resonators can be used to greatly increase the output brightness of dense wavelength beam combining (DWBC) system beams by stabilizing the wavelengths of the beams emitted by the individual emitters of the DWBC laser source. The present invention pertains to external resonant cavities that utilize thin-film filtering elements as wavelength-selective elements in external resonators. The present invention further pertains to particular embodiments that utilize thin-film filtering elements in DWBC systems as both output beam coupling elements and wavelength selective elements. The present invention provides advantages over the prior art that include decreased cost, increased fidelity of wavelength selection, and increased wall plug efficiency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2013
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Inventors: Rudolf Huber, Hagen Zimer, Alexander Killi, Christoph Tillkorn, Steffen Ried
  • Patent number: 9042005
    Abstract: An amplifying-apparatus that raman-amplifies light transmitted through an optical-fiber-transmission-path, includes: an inputting-unit that inputs pump light to the optical-fiber-transmission-path; a path-switching-unit that is capable of switching between a first state in which the light transmitted through the optical-fiber-transmission-path is output to a first path and a second state in which the light transmitted through the optical-fiber-transmission-path is output to a second path; a splitting-unit that splits the light output to the second path by the path-switching-unit and outputs resulting first light and second light; and a control-circuit that stores information based on a result of reception of the light output to the first path by putting the path-switching-unit into the first state and then controls power of the pump light on a basis of the stored information and a result of reception of the first light output by the splitting-unit by putting the path-switching-unit into the second state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Shinichirou Muro, Tomoaki Takeyama
  • Patent number: 9042009
    Abstract: The invention relates to a passive device for the coherent combination of at least two optical amplifiers. According to the invention, said device comprises an interferometer having at least four branches (B1, B2, B3, B4) and comprising optical means for separating and combining polarization, said means having four inlet-outlet ports that are respectively connected to a branch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE
    Inventors: Dimitris Papadopoulos, Marc Hanna, Louis Daniault
  • Publication number: 20150131105
    Abstract: A light source system includes: a plurality of gain mediums configured to output a corresponding plurality of lights having different center wavelengths from each other; a first light source part configured to connect the plurality of gain mediums to each other in parallel and emit the plurality of lights; a wavelength-swept filter unit configured to sweep wavelengths of the plurality of lights output by the plurality of gain mediums and compensate for spectroscopic optical paths of the plurality of lights; a second light source part configured to connect the first light source part to the wavelength-swept filter unit in series and feed the wavelength-swept lights back to the plurality of gain mediums; a combiner configured to combine the wavelength-swept lights and output a combined wavelength-swept; and a controller configured to control an output magnitude and a wavelength region of the wavelength-swept lights.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2014
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hong-sig KIM, Woo-young JANG
  • Patent number: 9025239
    Abstract: A double-clad (DC) multicore (MC) Erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) for dense-wavelength-division multiplexing (DWDM) is disclosed. The DC-MC-EDFA comprises a length of DC-MC Erbium-doped fiber (EDF) that is core-matched spliced to a MC tapered signal-pump fiber combiner (TFC). For some embodiments, the optical signals are coupled into the DC-MC-EDF by the MC-TFC, and the pump energy is also coupled into the DC-MC-EDF by the MC-TFC. For some embodiments, the optical signals are also transmitted out of the DC-MC-EDF through the MC-TFC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: OFS Fitel, LLC
    Inventor: Benyuan Zhu
  • Patent number: 9013786
    Abstract: High power parallel fiber arrays for the amplification of high peak power pulses are described. Fiber arrays based on individual fiber amplifiers as well as fiber arrays based on multi-core fibers can be implemented. The optical phase between the individual fiber amplifier elements of the fiber array is measured and controlled using a variety of phase detection and compensation techniques. High power fiber array amplifiers can be used for EUV and X-ray generation as well as pumping of parametric amplifiers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: IMRA America, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Fermann, Ingmar Hartl, Andrius Marcinkevicius, Liang Dong
  • Patent number: 8995049
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for suppression of stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) includes a master oscillator (MO) that generates a beam; a birefringent element that receives and transmits the beam, wherein the beam is transmitted with a transmission delay between two orthogonal axes; a polarization controller that receives the beam and transmits the beam with a desired polarization; a fiber amplifier that receives the beam, amplifies the beam, and transmits a beam; a compensating birefringent element that receives the beam, approximately removes the transmission delay between the two axes of the beam, and transmits an output beam; and a polarization detector that detects the output beam's polarization and provides feedback to the polarization controller to ensure that the polarization of the output beam is approximately equal to a desired output polarization, so as to reduce SBS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation
    Inventor: Joshua E. Rothenberg
  • Patent number: 8964284
    Abstract: A semiconductor optical amplifier module may include a beam splitter to split an optical signal into two polarization optical signals including a first polarization optical signal with a Transverse Magnetic (TM) polarization provided along a first path of two paths, and a second polarization optical signal with a Transverse Electric (TE) polarization provided along a second path of the two paths; a first rotator to rotate the TM polarization of the first polarization optical signal to TE polarization; a first semiconductor optical amplifier to amplify the rotated first polarization optical signal to output a first resultant optical signal; a second semiconductor optical amplifier to amplify the second polarization optical signal; and a second rotator to rotate the polarization of the amplified second polarization optical signal to output a second resultant optical signal; and a beam combiner to combine the first resultant optical signal and the second resultant optical signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Infinera Corporation
    Inventors: Mehrdad Ziari, Scott Corzine, Masaki Kato, Michael Francis Van Leeuwen, Radhakrishnan L. Nagarajan, Matthew L. Mitchell, Fred A. Kish, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8958145
    Abstract: A fiber laser amplifier system including a beam splitter that splits a feedback beam into a plurality of fiber beams where a separate fiber beam is sent to a fiber amplifier for amplifying the fiber beam. A tapered fiber bundle couples the output ends of all of the fiber amplifiers into a combined fiber providing a combined output beam. A beam sampler samples a portion of the output beam from the tapered fiber bundle and provides a sample beam. A single mode fiber receives the sample beam from the beam sampler and provides the feedback beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation
    Inventor: Joshua Elliott Rothenberg
  • Patent number: 8953240
    Abstract: A chirped diode laser (ChDL) is employed for seeding optical amplifiers and/or dissimilar optical paths, which simultaneously suppresses stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) and enables coherent combination. The seed spectrum will appear broadband to suppress the SBS, but the well-defined chirp will have the coherence and duration to allow the active phasing of multiple amplifiers and/or dissimilar optical paths. The phasing is accomplished without optical path-length matching by interfering each amplifier output with a reference, processing the resulting signal with a phase lock loop, and using the error signal to drive an acousto-optic frequency shifter at the front end of each optical amplifier and/or optical path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Telaris, Inc.
    Inventor: George Rakuljic
  • Patent number: 8937769
    Abstract: A system comprises first and second beamsplitter modules aligned along an alignment line. In certain embodiments, each beamsplitter module can split a beam traveling along a first optical path into a first split beam and a second split beam within a spectral range. Each beamsplitter module can transmit the first split beam along the first optical path and direct the second split beam along a second optical path substantially orthogonal to the first optical path and to the alignment line. In certain embodiments, each beamsplitter module can receive a first beam traveling along a first optical path and a second beam traveling along a second optical path that is substantially orthogonal to the first optical path and to the alignment line. Each beamsplitter module can combine the second beam with the first beam to yield a combined beam and transmit the combined beam along the first optical path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Alcon Research, Ltd.
    Inventors: Alexander N. Artsyukhovich, Mikhail Boukhny, Z. Aras Aslan
  • Patent number: 8928863
    Abstract: A system for providing a sliced optical pulse is disclosed. The system can comprise a master oscillator (MO) configured to generate an optical pulse at a first spectral bandwidth. The system can also comprise a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) configured to slice the optical pulse to generate a sliced optical pulse that has a second spectral bandwidth. The second spectral bandwidth can be smaller than the first spectral bandwidth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Peter A. Thielen, Eric Cheung, Timothy McComb
  • Patent number: 8922881
    Abstract: A fiber laser amplifier system including a beam splitter that splits a feedback beam into a plurality of fiber beams where a separate fiber beam is sent to a fiber amplifier for amplifying the fiber beam. A tapered fiber bundle couples all of the output ends of all of the fiber amplifiers into a combined fiber providing a combined output beam. A beam sampler samples a portion of the output beam from the tapered fiber bundle and provides a sample beam. A single mode fiber receives the sample beam from the beam sampler and provides the feedback beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation
    Inventor: Joshua Elliot Rothenberg
  • Publication number: 20140376085
    Abstract: A passive device for the coherent combination of at least two optical amplifiers, includes an interferometer having at least four branches having optical elements for separating and combining polarization, the elements having four inlet-outlet ports that are respectively connected to a branch. The first branch includes a first polarization element, a first optical amplifier and a first mirror; the second branch includes a second polarization element, a second optical amplifier and a second mirror; the third branch includes a third polarization element and a third mirror; the fourth branch is an inlet-outlet branch of the interferometer. The three polarization elements are designed such that a polarized optical beam entering respectively into the first, second or third branch and reflected by the mirror at the end thereof forms a polarized optical beam leaving the branch with a polarization that is orthogonal to that of the polarized optical beam entering the branch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2012
    Publication date: December 25, 2014
    Applicant: Ecole Polytechnique
    Inventors: Dimitris Papadopoulos, Marc Hanna, Louis Daniault
  • Patent number: 8908266
    Abstract: A method of delivering a desired relatively high optical power to a well tool in a subterranean well can include coupling to an optical waveguide an optical source which combines multiple optical frequency ranges, respective centers of the frequency ranges being separated by at least a peak shift frequency in a Raman gain spectrum for a corresponding pump wavelength generated by the optical source, and transmitting the desired optical power to the well tool via the optical waveguide positioned in the well. Another method of delivering optical power to a well tool in a subterranean well can include coupling to an optical waveguide an optical source, the optical source comprising a sufficient number of lasing elements to transmit the optical power, with the optical power being greater than a critical power for stimulated Brillouin scattering in the waveguide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventor: Neal G. Skinner
  • Patent number: 8903211
    Abstract: An optical fiber coupler connects transmission multicore optical fiber (TMCF) with an amplifier multicore optical fiber (AMCF) and a plurality of optical pump fibers. The coupler includes a plurality of signal cores extending between a multicore input endface and a coupler output endface, and a plurality of pump cores extending between a pump input and the coupler output endface. The multicore input endface is connectable to the TMCF, and the pump input is connectable to the optical pump fibers. Each pump core is paired with a corresponding signal core to form a core pair that is adiabatically tapered such that signal light carried by the signal core is combined with pump light carried by the pump core. The coupler output endface is connectable to the AMCF such that the combined light output of each core pair is provided as an input to a respective AMCF core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: OFS Fitel, LLC
    Inventors: John M Fini, Thierry F Taunay, Man F Yan, Benyuan Zhu
  • Publication number: 20140319388
    Abstract: A laser apparatus may include a master oscillator configured to output a pulse laser beam, an amplifier disposed in a light path of the pulse laser beam, a wavelength selection element disposed in the light path of the pulse laser beam and configured to transmit light of a selection wavelength at higher transmittance than transmittance of light of other wavelengths, and a controller configured to change the selection wavelength of the wavelength selection element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2014
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: GIGAPHOTON INC.
    Inventors: Masato MORIYA, Osamu WAKABAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20140268314
    Abstract: Apparatus 110 and methods for the coherent beam combining of three beams 101, 102, 103 from laser sources. In one embodiment, a two-beam coherent combiner 27 comprises two laser sources 1, 2, a repeated pattern optical element 22 that functions as a two port diffractive beam combining element, and a method for adjusting the relative phase difference between the two beams to improve the combined beam 23 output. In another embodiment, a three-beam coherent beam combiner 110 comprises three laser sources 101, 102, 103, a repeated pattern optical element 111 that functions as a three port diffractive beam combining element, and a method for adjusting the relative phase difference between the three beams to improve the combined beam 123 output. The apparatus 27, 110 and methods disclosed can be used in external cavity laser configurations 200, 300 to combine two or three laser resonator gain paths into phased paths for improved single wavelength combined beam performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Inventor: Robert H. Dueck
  • Patent number: 8830566
    Abstract: A fiber laser amplifier system including a plurality of master oscillators each generating a signal beam at a different wavelength. A splitter for each master oscillator splits the signal beam into a plurality of fiber beams to be separately amplified. A separate tapered fiber bundle receives the amplified beam for each master oscillator, where each tapered fiber bundle includes a plurality of input end fibers, a plurality of output end fibers and a center bundle portion, where each input end fiber is coupled to a separate one of the fiber amplifiers, where the bundle portion combines all of the fiber beams received by the input end fibers into a single combined beam and each output end fiber is capable of receiving the combined beam separately from the other output end fibers. A separate optical output channel receives one of the output end fibers from each tapered fiber bundle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Joshua Elliott Rothenberg, Eric Chiu Tat Cheung
  • Publication number: 20140233091
    Abstract: A supercontinuum optical pulse source provides a combined supercontinuum. The supercontinuum optical pulse source comprises one or more seed pulse sources, and first and second optical amplifiers arranged along first and second respective optical paths. The first and second optical amplifiers are configured to amplify one or more optical signals generated by said one or more seed pulse sources. The supercontinuum optical pulse source further comprises a first microstructured light-guiding member arranged along the first optical path and configured to generate supercontinuum light responsive to an optical signal propagating along said first optical path, and a second microstructured light-guiding member arranged along the second optical path and configured to generate supercontinuum light responsive to an optical signal propagating along said second optical path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2014
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicant: Fianium Ltd.
    Inventors: John Redvers Clowes, Anatoly Borisovich Grudinin, Adam Devine
  • Patent number: 8810902
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a first plurality of concave reflecting surfaces; a second plurality of reflecting surfaces facing the first plurality of concave reflecting surfaces such that a region is defined between the first and second pluralities; and an input for an optical beam to enter the region and an output for the optical beam to exit the region. The first and second pluralities of reflecting surfaces are arranged relative to each other so that the optical beam is re-imaged at a reflecting surface of one of the pluralities after only one reflection from a reflecting surface of the other of the pluralities and so that overlap of two or more optical beams on each of the reflecting surfaces is avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventor: Richard L. Sandstrom
  • Patent number: 8803027
    Abstract: A thin beam laser crystallization apparatus for selectively melting a film deposited on a substrate is disclosed having a laser source producing a pulsed laser output beam, the source having an oscillator comprising a convex reflector and a piano output coupler; and an optical arrangement focusing the beam in a first axis and spatially expanding the beam in a second axis to produce a line beam for interaction with the film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Cymer, LLC
    Inventor: Thomas Hofmann
  • Publication number: 20140211184
    Abstract: According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a radiation source comprising: a nozzle configured to direct a stream of fuel droplets (70) along a trajectory towards a plasma formation location; a laser configured to direct laser radiation at a fuel droplet at the plasma formation location to generate, in use, a radiation generating plasma; wherein the laser comprises: a seed laser (50) for providing a seed laser beam (52); a beam splitter (54) for receiving the seed laser beam from the seed laser; an optical amplifier (58) for receiving the seed laser beam from the beam splitter and performing optical amplification; a first reflector (60) located downstream of the optical amplifier, configured to direct the seed laser beam back through the optical amplifier and on to the beam splitter; and a second reflector (70) located further downstream of the beam splitter, configured to receive the seed laser beam from the beam splitter and to direct at least a portion of the seed laser beam bac
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Christian Wagner, Erik Roelof Loopstra
  • Patent number: 8786942
    Abstract: A pulsed fiber array laser system that has actively stabilized coherent beam combination (CBC) is disclosed. The active stabilization is accomplished using both piston phase control and intra-pulse phase control, allowing a much greater increase in pulse energy. Further stabilization using intra-pulse amplitude control is also disclosed. A chirp profile can be written on the output pulse to enable specific applications. An amplitude profile of the amplifier array may optionally be tailored to match to a reference electrical pulse. Using the current invention, a much smaller number of amplifier chains will be needed to achieve certain pulse energy, resulting in a system with lower complexity, lower cost, smaller size, less weight, and higher reliability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen P. Palese, Eric C. Cheung, Gregory D. Goodno, Chun-Ching Shih, Mark E. Weber
  • Patent number: 8767292
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a laser apparatus capable of supplying laser beams from each of plural beam emitting ends constituting laser beam output ports, and realizes the overall low power consumption and low non-linearization. The laser apparatus comprises a seed light source, beam emitting ends, an intermediate optical amplifier, an optical branching device, and final-stage optical amplifiers. The number of beam emitting ends is greater than the number of seed light sources, and the final-stage optical amplifiers and the beam emitting ends correspond to each other one-on-one. The optical branching device includes an input port associated to the seed light source and plural output ports associated to the respective beam emitting ends so as to constitute a part of the light paths between the seed light source and the beam emitting ends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Megaopto Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinobu Tamaoki, Motoki Kakui
  • Patent number: 8767289
    Abstract: The invention relates to a laser device comprising a number of fiber amplifiers (3) delivering a number of optical waves, which is supplied by an oscillator (1) that delivers a signal wave, characterized in that said device comprises: a coherent source (4) emitting a coherent wave at a wavelength approximately equal to that of the signal wave and the propagation direction of which is inclined to the propagation direction of the optical waves output by the fiber amplifiers; means for making the coherent wave interfere with the optical waves output by the fiber amplifiers, and generating an interferogram consisting of an array of fringes; interferogram detection means (7), the relative positions of the fringes transcribing an inter-fiber phase law; a spatial phase modulator (2); and processing/display means (6) for processing the detected phase law and for displaying it on the spatial modulator, said spatial modulator being positioned so as to be able to be read by the signal wave and thus generate a phase-m
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: Jean-Pierre Huignard, Cindy Bellanger, Arnaud Brignon, Joseph Colineau
  • Patent number: 8755112
    Abstract: Devices and techniques are disclosed for amplifying a plurality of optical signals using a single pump laser coupled to a set of optical splitters arranged in a binary tree configuration for powering a plurality of fiber optical amplifying path circuits (FOAP circuits) each configured to amplify one of the plurality of optical signals, where each of the optical splitters at the leaves of the binary tree is coupled to one of the plurality of FOAP circuits to provide the power required to amplify the optical signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Gooch and Housego PLC
    Inventors: Leontios Stampoulidis, Efstratios Kehayas