Lens Or Lens System Patents (Class 372/101)
  • Patent number: 9945775
    Abstract: A sensor comprises a pair of mirrors (11, 12) opposed along an optical axis and shaped to provide an optical cavity with stable resonance in at least one mode and having a cavity length of at most 50 ?m. An actuator system is arranged to move the mirrors relative to each other along the length of the optical cavity for tuning the wavelength of the mode of said cavity. A chemical sample is introduced inside the optical cavity using a sample introduction system (21). An EM radiation source (20) illuminates the cavity and a detector (25) detects the EM radiation emitted from, transmitted through, or reflected from the optical cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: ISIS INNOVATION LIMITED
    Inventors: Jason Michael Smith, Claire Vallance
  • Patent number: 9917423
    Abstract: Provided herein is a laser beam combination system. The laser beam combination system includes a laser emitter array including a plurality of laser emitters arranged therein, a first combination lens, through which a plurality of laser beams emitted from the laser emitters are concentrated in a first axis direction, so that the plurality of laser beams are converted to each have an oval cross-section having a long axis that is parallel to a second axis, and a second combination lens disposed at a focal point of the first combination lens to combine the plurality of laser beams converted by the first combination lens at a predetermined target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventor: Jung Ho Song
  • Patent number: 9874671
    Abstract: A lighting device is provided that includes a light source package including a diode disposed in a housing and emitting light at an emission point within the housing. The lighting device also has an optical fiber extending through an opening in the housing and having a terminal end optically aligned on an optical axis with the diode to within a distance of less than 1.0 millimeter from the emission point, wherein the fiber emits light via a light diffusing fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Anthony Sebastian Bauco, Vikram Bhatia, Stephan Lvovich Logunov
  • Patent number: 9859679
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser module 1 has a semiconductor laser device 30 operable to emit a laser beam L having an optical axis along the Z-direction, a collimator lens 40 configured to collimate components of the laser beam L along a direction of a fast axis (Y-direction), and a lens fixture block 50 fixed relative to the semiconductor laser device 30. The lens fixture block 50 has a lens attachment surface 50A perpendicular to the X-direction. An end 40A of the collimator lens 40 along the X-direction is fixed to the lens attachment surface 50A of the lens fixture block 50 with a lens fixation resin 42.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: FUJIKURA LTD.
    Inventor: Naoki Kimura
  • Patent number: 9825419
    Abstract: In one aspect, the present disclosure describes a fiber laser system for the generation and delivery of femtosecond (fs) pulses in multiple wavelength ranges. For improved versatility in multi-photon microscopy, an example of a dual wavelength fiber system based on Nd fiber source providing gain at 920 and 1060 nm is described. An example of a three-wavelength system is included providing outputs at 780 nm, 940 nm, and 1050 nm. The systems include dispersion compensation so that high quality fs pulses are provided for applications in microscopy, for example in multiphoton microscope (MPM) systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: IMRA America, Inc.
    Inventors: Takashi Hori, Martin E. Fermann
  • Patent number: 9793681
    Abstract: This semiconductor laser device includes a semiconductor laser chip and a spatial light modulator SLM which is optically connected to the semiconductor laser chip. The semiconductor laser chip LDC includes an active layer 4, a pair of cladding layers 2 and 7 sandwiching the active layer 4, and a diffraction grating layer 6 which is optically connected to the active layer 4. The spatial light modulator SLM includes a common electrode 25, a plurality of pixel electrodes 21, and a liquid crystal layer LC arranged between the common electrode 25 and the pixel electrodes 21. A laser beam output in a thickness direction of the diffraction grating layer 6 is modulated and reflected by the spatial light modulator SLM and is output to the outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Yuu Takiguchi, Yoshiro Nomoto
  • Patent number: 9784934
    Abstract: A laser device is disclosed. The laser device includes a surface-emitting laser including a plurality of emission points, a lens array including a plurality of lenses arranged so as to correspond to a position of the surface-emitting laser; and a light condensing optical system that condenses a plurality of light fluxes emitted through the lens array and enters the condensed lights to an input end of an optical fiber. The light condensing optical system includes an aspheric lens having positive refractive power. Both of an incidence surface and an emission surface of the aspheric lens have aspheric shapes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Arai
  • Patent number: 9748737
    Abstract: A laser element includes a photonic crystal layer on which laser light is incident. The photonic crystal layer includes a base layer formed of a first refractive index medium; and a plurality of different refractive index regions formed of a second refractive index medium having a refractive index different from that of the first refractive index medium and disposed in the base layer. The plurality of different refractive index regions includes a first different refractive index region of which a planar shape is an approximate circle, an approximate square, or an approximate polygon having a rotational symmetry of 90° and a first area perpendicular to a thickness direction; and a second different refractive index region having a second area perpendicular to a thickness direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Yuu Takiguchi, Yoshiro Nomoto
  • Patent number: 9728393
    Abstract: A target for ultraviolet light generation comprises a substrate adapted to transmit ultraviolet light therethrough and a light-emitting layer disposed on the substrate and generating ultraviolet light UV in response to an electron beam. The light-emitting layer includes a powdery or granular rare-earth-containing aluminum garnet crystal doped with an activator. The light-emitting layer has an ultraviolet light emission peak wavelength of 300 nm or shorter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Yoshinori Honda, Hiroyuki Taketomi, Fumitsugu Fukuyo, Koji Kawai, Hidetsugu Takaoka, Takashi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9720242
    Abstract: A laser system comprising a laser configured to emit a laser beam wherein the laser beam is linearly polarized in a polarization plane and an optical assembly comprising a partial reflector having a refractive index and comprising a partially reflective surface. The partially reflective surface is arranged to receive the laser beam at an angle of incidence which lies in a plane of incidence and reflect a portion of the laser beam such that the reflected portion is output from the optical assembly. The partially reflective surface is arranged such that the plane of incidence forms a polarization angle with the polarization plane of the laser beam and the laser beam includes a p-polarized component and an s-polarized component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: LASER QUANTUM INC.
    Inventors: Alan Cox, Jean-Charles Cotteverte
  • Patent number: 9711950
    Abstract: An external cavity laser apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention is provided. The external cavity laser apparatus includes a plurality of beam emitters that collectively emit a plurality of emitted beams that each includes a primary component emitted beam. A first reflective element is configured to reflect the plurality of primary component emitted beams and a first polarizing optic disposed in the optical path of the plurality of primary component emitted beams is configured to rotate a polarization of each primary component emitted beam to produce a first rotated primary component beam having a first linear polarization and a second rotated primary component beam having a second linear polarization. A polarized beam splitter is configured to direct first feedback system output component beams into an output beam, and to direct second feedback system output component beams to the plurality of beam emitters as feedback beams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: TRUMPF LASER GMBH
    Inventors: Hagen Zimer, Alexander Killi, Steffen Ried, Simon Nagel, Markus Ginter
  • Patent number: 9673591
    Abstract: According to another aspect of the present disclosed technology, a diode laser assembly, includes an optical fiber having a cladding and a large mode area (LMA) core, wherein the LMA core comprises a fiber Bragg grating disposed within the LMA core, a plurality of diode lasers configured to emit light, optics configured to receive the light and to couple the light into the LMA core, and one or more features in the optical fiber to couple higher order modes of the light leaving substantially single mode light to propagate in the LMA core wherein a portion of the single mode light propagating in the LMA core is reflected by the fiber Bragg grating and is coupled back through the optics into the plurality of diode lasers to lock the wavelength of light emitted from each diode laser of the plurality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: nLIGHT, INC.
    Inventor: Manoj Kanskar
  • Patent number: 9660415
    Abstract: This semiconductor laser device includes a semiconductor laser chip and a spatial light modulator SLM which is optically connected to the semiconductor laser chip. The semiconductor laser chip LDC includes an active layer 4, a pair of cladding layers 2 and 7 sandwiching the active layer 4, and a diffraction grating layer 6 which is optically connected to the active layer 4. The spatial light modulator SLM includes a transparent common electrode 25, a plurality of transparent pixel electrodes 21, a liquid crystal layer LC arranged between the common electrode 25 and the pixel electrodes 21. A laser beam output in a thickness direction of the diffraction grating layer 6 is modulated by the spatial light modulator SLM, passes therethrough, and is output to the outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Yuu Takiguchi, Yoshiro Nomoto
  • Patent number: 9651204
    Abstract: The backlight according to the present disclosure may include a monochromatic laser diode, a reflector and a beam-expanding prism. The monochromatic laser diode and the beam-expanding prism may be arranged on the reflector, and monochromatic laser beams from the monochromatic laser diode may be expanded after being reflected by the beam-expanding prism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shang Wang, Zhihong Du, Lilei Zhang
  • Patent number: 9647421
    Abstract: The semiconductor laser module 1 has a first substrate 10, a second substrate 20 provided on the first substrate 10, a semiconductor laser device 30 operable to emit a laser beam L having an optical axis along the Z-direction, a collimator lens 40 configured to collimate components of the laser beam L along a direction of a fast axis (Y-direction), and a lens fixture block 50 having a lens attachment surface 50A and a block fixation surface 50B that are perpendicular to the X-direction. An end 40A of the collimator lens 40 along the X-direction is fixed to the lens attachment surface 50A of the lens fixture block 50 with a lens fixation resin 42. The block fixation surface 50B of the lens fixture block 50 is fixed to a side surface 20A of the second substrate 20 along the X-direction with a block fixation resin 52.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: FUJIKURA LTD.
    Inventors: Naoki Kimura, Susumu Nakaya
  • Patent number: 9625671
    Abstract: Laser modules and systems are provided that are smaller, lighter, and less complex and while more reliably generating collimated laser beams having limited divergence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: LaserMax, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth R. Vorndran, Brian L. Olmsted, Daniel J. Balonek
  • Patent number: 9563073
    Abstract: An integrated and compact multifunctional optical isolator (i.e., a combined splitter, isolator, and spot-size converter), which is suitable for use in a TOSA, includes input optics including a first polarizer, a Faraday rotator, and a second polarizer. The input optics include a wedge having a partially reflective coating disposed on a first face thereof. The input beam is incident on the first face at a non-normal angle of incidence such light passing through the wedge is refracted to a second face of the wedge, which is tilted relative to the first face by a predetermined wedge angle. At least one of the non-normal angle of incidence and the predetermined wedge angle is determined dependence upon a refractive index of the wedge material and a target anamorphic magnification of the input beam of light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: Lumentum Operations LLC
    Inventors: Wei Xiong, Michael C. Larson, Zhaoming Li, Fenhong Zhou
  • Patent number: 9541721
    Abstract: A laser device is disclosed. The laser device includes a surface-emitting laser including a plurality of emission points, a lens array including a plurality of lenses arranged so as to correspond to a position of the surface-emitting laser; and a light condensing optical system that condenses a plurality of light fluxes emitted through the lens array and enters the condensed lights to an input end of an optical fiber. The light condensing optical system includes an aspheric lens having positive refractive power. Both of an incidence surface and an emission surface of the aspheric lens have aspheric shapes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Arai
  • Patent number: 9535015
    Abstract: A pattern inspection method includes acquiring an image of a pattern in a stripe region concerned, regarding each of stripe regions of the first group each not including an adjacent stripe region in plural stripe regions obtained by virtually dividing an inspection region of a target object on which patterns have been formed into the plural stripe regions each partially overlapping an adjacent stripe region, wherein the acquiring is performed using laser lights or electron beams, in a longitudinal direction of the stripe region of the first group, and acquiring an image of a pattern in a stripe region concerned, regarding each of stripe regions of the second group each not including an adjacent stripe region, in remaining stripe regions other than the first group stripe regions, wherein the acquiring is performed using laser lights or electron beams, in the longitudinal direction of the stripe region of the second group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: NUFLARE TECHNOLOGY, INC
    Inventor: Ikunao Isomura
  • Patent number: 9538590
    Abstract: Solid state lighting apparatuses and related methods are described. In some aspects, a solid state lighting apparatus includes a substrate. The substrate includes a non-metallic body having a first surface and one or more electrical components supported on the first surface of the substrate. At least one electrical component is spaced from the non-metallic body by one or more non-metallic layers. The apparatus can also include an array of solid state light emitters supported by the first surface of the substrate and electrically coupled to the one or more electrical components thereof. The apparatus can further include a receiver supported by the first surface of the substrate, wherein the receiver is adapted to receive alternating current (AC) directly from an AC power source. Related systems and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher P. Hussell, Jeremy Allen Johnson, Craig William Hardin
  • Patent number: 9525267
    Abstract: The present patent application provides a vertical cavity surface emitting laser assembly. The vertical cavity surface emitting laser assembly includes a vertical cavity surface emitting laser, optical element and optical detector. The optical element includes an identation. A portion of the output light of the VCSEL passes through the indentation and to the optical detector to be used for power monitoring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: O-NET COMMUNICATIONS (SHENZHEN) LIMITED
    Inventor: Mohammad Azadeh
  • Patent number: 9519150
    Abstract: A method for optimizing an intensity of a useful light distribution includes: providing a light source for emitting a light beam in a z-direction, which defines an optical axis, with a first intensity distribution; providing a beam shaping optical unit and a beam focusing optical unit for generating a second intensity distribution to be used in a target plane, the target plane being inclined by an angle ALPHA relative to a focal plane determined by the beam focusing optical unit; determining a first intensity at a first point and a second intensity at a second point of the second intensity distribution to be used. The points P1 and P2 are arranged on different sides of the back focal plane; and displacing the beam shaping optical unit along the y-axis in such a way that the difference between the two intensities I1 and I2 lies within a predefinable limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Jenoptik Optical Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Chris Schild, Tobias Graf
  • Patent number: 9490604
    Abstract: A laser system including two laser amplifier modules, each comprising a solid-state laser gain material (LGM) disk, and a multi-pass optical assembly comprising a plurality of relay mirrors. The relay mirrors are grouped in two relay mirror groups. Individual relay mirrors are arranged to pass a laser beam from the first LGM disk to the second LGM disk and back to the first LGM disk, and so on. The laser beam is amplified with each pass through the LGM disk. The relay mirrors may be arranged to repeat the process of passing the laser beam to and from the two LGM disks arbitrary number of times until the desired laser beam amplification is attained. At that point, the laser beam may either released from the laser system, reflected back causing it to retrace its path through the system. This configuration increases the effective gain and improves laser power extraction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Inventor: Jan Vetrovec
  • Patent number: 9419718
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein describe a sub-mount that is etched to include respective cavities with at least two adjacent sides that align optical filters and a mirror. Moreover, the cavities are arranged on the sub-mount such that when the filters and mirror are disposed in the cavities, they align in a manner that enables the performance of a multiplexing or demultiplexing function as part of, for example, a zigzag multiplexer/demultiplexer. In one embodiment, the filters and mirrors are aligned passively rather than actively. The sub-mount may then be placed on a substrate that includes other components of a ROSA or TOSA. In one embodiment, the substrate is also etched to include a cavity two adjacent sides to align the sub-mount so that sub-mount is passively aligned once disposed into the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: CISCO TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Prakash Gothoskar, Vipulkumar Patel, Kalpendu Shastri, Rao V. Yelamarty
  • Patent number: 9369618
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a camera module, the camera module including a base formed at an upper surface of a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) mounted with an image sensor, and formed with an IRCF (Infrared Cut Filter) at a position corresponding to that of the image sensor, a bobbin vertically reciprocatively formed at an upper surface of the base, and having a bobbin screw thread at an upper surface, a lens barrel formed with a lens barrel screw thread at an outer surface for being screw-connected to an interior of the bobbin and mounted with at least one or more lenses, and a foreign object blocking unit formed at a screw-connected portion between the bobbin and the lens barrel to prevent sticky and adhesive foreign objects from being transmitted to an IRCF (Infrared Cut Filter) in the course of screw-connection between the lens barrel and the bobbin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Byoung Yun Yeon, Kyung Pil Chae, Cheol Woo Jung
  • Patent number: 9329520
    Abstract: A multibeam light source unit, a method of adjusting the same, a light scanning unit, and an image forming apparatus are provided. The multibeam light source unit includes light sources that emit multiple beams, a flange that includes installation surface on which holder installation holes are provided, and middle holders on which a light source is installed. The middle holder includes a light source mounting unit, a cylinder-shape insertion unit that is inserted into a holder installation hole, and fixing protrusion units protruding outside from a light source mounting unit and fixed to the flange, and a jig coupling unit that is coupled with a jig when adjustment is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Ju-hong Park
  • Patent number: 9324667
    Abstract: A method forms a connecting pillar to a bonding pad of an integrated circuit. A seed layer is formed over the bond pad. Photoresist is deposited over the integrated circuit. An opening is formed in the photoresist over the bond pad. The connecting pillar is formed in the opening by plating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Trent S. Uehling, Lawrence S. Klingbeil, Mostafa Vadipour, Brett P. Wilkerson, Leo M. Higgins, III
  • Patent number: 9325145
    Abstract: A method for improving the output beam quality of a free electron laser (FEL) by reducing the amount of emission at wavelengths longer than the electron pulse length and reducing the amount of edge radiation. A mirror constructed of thermally conductive material and having an aperture therein is placed at an oblique angle with respect to the beam downstream of the bending magnet but before any sensitive use of the FEL beam. The aperture in the mirror is sized to deflect emission longer than the wavelength of the FEL output while having a minor impact on the FEL output beam. A properly sized aperture will enable the FEL radiation, which is coherent and generally at a much shorter wavelength than the bending radiations, to pass through the aperture mirror. The much higher divergence bending radiations will subsequently strike the aperture mirror and be reflected safely out of the way.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: JEFFERSON SCIENCE ASSOCIATES, LLC
    Inventors: George Neil, Michelle D. Shinn, Joseph Gubeli
  • Patent number: 9280053
    Abstract: Apparatus for and method of temperature compensating a focusing system in having at least one transmissive optical element with a thermal lens. A reflective optical element is introduced having a thermal lens complementary to the thermal lens of the transmissive optical element so that the combined optical characteristics of the two optical elements are substantially temperature independent. Provision can also be made for a change in the absorption of the transmissive optical element over time. The focusing system is especially applicable to systems for generating EUV light for use in semiconductor photolithography.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: CYMER, LLC
    Inventor: Alexander I. Ershov
  • Patent number: 9274294
    Abstract: An optical communication module includes a plurality of semiconductor lasers that emit optical signals with different wavelengths, a plurality of first mounts each including a first mounting surface on which a corresponding one of the semiconductor lasers is mounted and a first side surface that intersects with the first mounting surface, a second mount including a second mounting surface on which a lens array that collimates an optical signal emitted from a corresponding one of the plurality of semiconductor lasers and a multiplexing optical system that multiplexes the plurality of optical signals that have been collimated by the lens array and a second side surface that intersects with the second mounting surface. Each of the first mounts is fixed to the second mount in a state where a corresponding one of the semiconductor lasers is aligned with the lens array and the first side surface abuts the second side surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Hitachi Metals, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenichi Tamura
  • Patent number: 9042414
    Abstract: A tunable laser source that includes multiple gain elements and uses a spatial light modulator in an external cavity to produce spectrally tunable output is claimed. Several designs of the external cavity are described, targeting different performance characteristics and different manufacturing costs for the device. Compared to existing devices, the tunable laser source produces high output power, wide tuning range, fast tuning rate, and high spectral resolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: Spectral Sciences, Inc.
    Inventors: Pajo Vukovic-Cvijin, Neil Goldstein
  • Patent number: 9042421
    Abstract: There is provided a surface emitting laser allowing a direction of a far-field pattern (FFP) centroid to be inclined from a normal direction of a substrate providing the surface emitting laser, comprising: a substrate; a lower reflecting mirror, an active layer, an upper reflecting mirror stacked on the substrate; and a surface relief structure located in an upper portion of a light emitting surface of the upper reflecting mirror, the surface relief structure being made of a material allowing at least some beams emitted from the surface emitting laser to be transmitted therethrough, a plurality of regions having a predetermined optical thickness in a normal direction of the substrate being formed in contact with other region in an in-plane direction of the substrate, and a distribution of the optical thickness in the in-plane direction of the substrate is asymmetric to a central axis of the light emitting regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Mitsuhiro Ikuta
  • Patent number: 9031113
    Abstract: The invention relates to an optical resonator, laser apparatus and a method of generating a laser beam inside an optical resonator. The optical resonator (100) includes an optical cavity (102) and an optical element (104.1, 104.2) at either end thereof, operable to sustain a light beam (108) therein, characterized in that each optical element (104.1, 104.2) is a phase-only optical element operable to alter a mode of the beam (108) as it propagates along the length of the optical resonator (100), such that in use the beam (108) at one end of the optical resonator (100) has a Gaussian profile while the beam (108) at the other end of the optical resonator (100) has a non-Gaussian profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: CSIR
    Inventors: Ihar Anatolievich Litvin, Andrew Forbes
  • Patent number: 9018561
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of operation for a high power broad band elongated thin beam laser annealing light source, which may comprise a gas discharge seed laser oscillator having a resonance cavity, providing a seed laser output pulse; a gas discharge amplifier laser amplifying the seed laser output pulse to provide an amplified seed laser pulse output; a divergence correcting multi-optical element optical assembly intermediate the seed laser and the amplifier laser. The divergence correcting optical assembly may adjust the size and/or shape of the seed laser output pulse within a discharge region of the amplifier laser in order to adjust an output parameter of the amplified seed laser pulse output. The divergence correcting optical assembly may comprise a telescope with an adjustable focus. The adjustable telescope may comprise an active feedback-controlled actuator based upon a sensed parameter of the amplified seed laser output from the amplifier laser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Cymer, LLC
    Inventors: Richard L Sandstrom, Daniel J. W. Brown, Thomas Hoffmann, Jason D Robinson, Craig W Unick
  • Patent number: 9008134
    Abstract: A variable wavelength diode according to the inventive concept includes a resonator and a plurality of cylindrical lenses. The resonator includes slab waveguides of which resonance lengths are different from each other. The slab waveguides are disposed on a planar light wave circuit (PLC). Thus, the variable wavelength diode realizes a high variation speed and a continuous variation of a beam at the same time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventor: Kwang Ryong Oh
  • Patent number: 8971376
    Abstract: Multiple broad area lasers are coupled to a planar lightwave circuit, where the waveguides come together to form a single wide emitting aperture. A tapered lens is used at the output of the planar lightwave circuit to transform the highly asymmetric mode into a conventional round mode. This configuration allows much higher “brightness”, allowing 10 or more 100 um wide broad area lasers to be coupled into a single 100 um core multimode fiber. This is considerably more efficient than the standard method of combining a single 100 um wide broad area laser to a 100 um core multimode fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Kaiam Corp.
    Inventors: Bardia Pezeshki, John Heanue
  • Publication number: 20150049779
    Abstract: Disclosed is a semiconductor laser optical device that can suppress the occurrence of crosstalk light to obtain high collimating efficiency and is relatively inexpensive and compact. This semiconductor laser optical device includes: a laser source that includes a semiconductor laser element; a first collimator lens that is provided on a laser light emission side of the laser source and collimates a light component diverging in a fast-axis direction of laser light emitted from the laser source; and a second collimator lens that is provided on an emission side of the first collimator lens and collimates a light component diverging in a slow-axis direction of light emitted from the first collimator lens. The first collimator lens has a function of making light of which spreading in the slow-axis direction is suppressed incident on the second collimator lens.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Publication date: February 19, 2015
    Inventor: Toru Kontani
  • Patent number: 8942267
    Abstract: A tunable laser has a solid state laser medium having an optical gain region and generates coherent radiation through a facet. A lens collects the coherent radiation and generates a collimated light beam. Components of an external cavity include a reflective surface and an optical filter, the reflective surface reflecting the collimated beam back to the lens and the laser medium, the optical filter positioned between the reflective surface and the lens and having two surfaces with a thermally tunable optical transmission band within the optical gain region of the laser medium. The optical filter (1) transmits a predominant portion of the collimated beam at a desired wavelength of operation, and (2) specularly reflects a remaining portion of the collimated beam from each surface, the collimated beam being incident on the optical filter such that the reflected collimated beams propagate at a non-zero angle with respect to the incident collimated beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Redshift Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Eugene Yi-Shan Ma, Charles M. Marshall
  • Patent number: 8908723
    Abstract: A widely tunable laser is described where a compound semiconductor gain chip is coupled to a waveguide filter fabricated on silicon. The filter has two resonators with different free-spectral-ranges, such that Vernier tuning between the filters can be used to provide a single wavelength of light feedback into the gain chip, where the wavelength is adjustable over a wide range. The coupling between the gain chip and the filter is realized through a microlens whose position can be adjusted using micromechanics and locked in place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Inventors: Gideon Yoffe, John Heanue, Bardia Pezeshki
  • Patent number: 8867586
    Abstract: A diode laser is provided with wavelength stabilization and vertical collimation of the emitted radiation, which allows a small distance of the volume Bragg grating from the emitting surface, a small vertical diameter of the collimated beam and also compensation for manufacturing tolerances affecting the shape of the grating and the lens. The diode laser comprises an external frequency-selective element for wavelength stabilization of the laser radiation, wherein the external frequency-selective element comprises an entry surface facing the exit facet and an exit surface facing away from the exit facet and is designed as a volume Bragg grating; and wherein the external frequency-selective element is designed in such a manner that the divergence of the radiation emitting from the exit facet is reduced during passage through the external frequency-selective element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Forschungsverbund Berlin E.V.
    Inventor: Bernd Eppich
  • Patent number: 8848749
    Abstract: A light radiating device capable of reducing production costs and preventing sealing defects for a display device, and a method of fabricating an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display device using the same are provided. The light radiating device includes a light source to generate light and a light modifier, including a transmissive region and a non-transmissive region, that define an exposure region on a substrate. The method includes applying a frit to at least one of a first substrate having a pixel region and a second substrate, plasticizing the frit, and aligning the first substrate, the second substrate, and a light radiating device to define an exposure region on the at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate, and radiating the light to the frit to couple the first substrate and the second substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tae-Wook Kang
  • Patent number: 8824519
    Abstract: Optical pump modules comprising VCSEL and VCSEL array devices provide high optical power for configuring fiber optic gain systems such as fiber laser and fiber amplifier particularly suited for high power operation. Pump modules may be constructed using two reflector or three reflector VCSEL devices optionally integrated with microlens arrays and other optical components, to couple high power pump beams to a fiber output port. The pump module having a fiber output port is particularly suited to couple light to an inner cladding of a double-clad fiber, often used to configure high power fiber laser and fiber amplifier. The pump modules may be operated in CW, QCW and pulse modes to configure fiber lasers and amplifiers using single end, dual end, and regenerative optical pumping modes. Multiple-pumps may be combined to increase pump power in a modular fashion without significant distortion to signal, particularly for short pulse operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Princeton Optronics Inc.
    Inventors: Jean-Francois Seurin, Qing Wang, Laurence Watkins, Chuni Lal Ghosh
  • Patent number: 8817837
    Abstract: An exemplary laser system is disclosed which includes a pump laser diode array and laser gain material, in which the array generates optical radiation having a predetermined total linewidth approximately 20 nm wide constructed from a plurality of individual wavelengths with a linewidth of up to 8 nm, the center wavelength of radiation being for example within the absorption band of laser gain material used at the center point of the operating temperature of the array. The system can include a highly reflecting plane mirror with periodic transmitting patches placed between the laser diode array and the laser gain material, the size of the transmitting patches being such that minimal pump radiation is lost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Selex ES Ltd
    Inventors: John Barr, Andrew White, Stephen Moore
  • Patent number: 8804777
    Abstract: Mid-IR supercontinuum laser source in the 3-12 micron region generating at least tens of watts of optical power and based on non-silica optical fiber pumped by a ZBLAN fiber laser generating light at about 2.7 microns. The zero-dispersion wavelength of the non-silica fiber substantially coincides with the lasing wavelength. The proportion of the SC output above 3 microns exceeds 40 percent of the overall power output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Arizona Board of Regents on Behalf of The University of Arizona
    Inventors: Xiushan Zhu, Nasser N. Peyghambarian, Robert A. Norwood
  • Patent number: 8798104
    Abstract: In various embodiments, output beams of multiple seed lasers differing in at least one beam characteristic are combined, amplified, and separated according to the beam characteristic(s) for use in, e.g., plateless lithographic printing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Inventor: Nanda Nathan
  • Patent number: 8750344
    Abstract: In a laser pump arrangement for a laser medium that amplifies a laser beam, comprising at least one laser pump source (1?) with a plurality of emitters for generating partial pumping streams (TPS1?, TPS2?), the partial pumping streams (TPS1?, TPS2?) are led through a coupling optic to a homogenizer (3?) and then are thoroughly mixed in one axis through multiple reflections. In the process, the homogenizer (3?) and the laser medium are designed and disposed such that the pump stream exiting the homogenizer (3?) is led directly onto or into the laser medium while maintaining divergence in the mixing axis (DA), wherein the partial pumping streams (TPS1?, TPS2?) are projected, in particular focused, directly onto or into the laser medium in a projection axis (PA) that is perpendicular to the mixing axis (DA).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: High Q Laser GmbH
    Inventors: Daniel Kopf, Maximilian Lederer
  • Patent number: 8731019
    Abstract: [Objective] To restrict degradation of optical characteristics due to a resin adhesive containing an inorganic filler. [Means] The width d of a lens body 31 and the height of an inorganic filler 341 in a direction orthogonal to the surface of a substrate are set such that an inclination angle of a collimating lens 3 does not exceed a maximum tolerable inclination angle when the inorganic filler 341 is positioned near the width-wise center of the lens body 31. As a result, even when the inorganic filler 341 is inserted between the bottom surface of the collimating lens 3 and the top surface of the substrate 4, degradation of the optical characteristics of the laser module including skewing of the optical axis of the laser light and distortion of the beam shape of the laser light can be restricted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Maiko Ariga, Toshio Kimura
  • Patent number: 8724673
    Abstract: A pulse fiber laser device 1 has a Fabry-Perot type optical resonator, and is provided with an excitation light source 11, an optical coupling unit 12, an amplifying optical fiber 13, a saturable absorber 14, a gradient index lens 15, an optical output unit 16, a dispersion adjusting unit 17, a mirror 21 and a mirror 22. The saturable absorber 14 and the mirror 21, integrated into one body, constitute a saturable absorber mirror 23. The gradient index lens 15 converges the light output from an end face of an optical fiber 32 and outputs the light to the saturable absorber mirror 23, and inputs the light reflected from the saturable absorber mirror 23 into the end face of the optical fiber 32. Thus, there is provided a pulse fiber laser device that enables easy adjustment of the intensity of light incident on a saturable absorber and facilitates miniaturization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics K.K.
    Inventors: Kodai Fukazawa, Masatoshi Fujimoto
  • Patent number: 8693517
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser using an external resonator. A laser diode chip emits a laser beam in a horizontal direction parallel to the bottom plane of a package, and the travel path of the laser beam is changed into a vertical direction by a reflective mirror next to a laser beam-emitting surface of the laser diode chip. As a result, the beam arrangement of the external cavity is available on a plane parallel to the bottom plane of the package through a lens installed on the vertical travel path of the laser beam. Consequently, the beam is easily arranged. Furthermore, an additional reflective mirror is installed above the lens which changes the vertical travel path into a horizontal travel path, which allows the beam traveling parallel to the bottom plane to be easily arranged through the lens. The production of the package can also be enabled in the configuration where various optical tools are arranged on the bottom of the package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Inventor: Jeong Soo Kim
  • Patent number: 8687667
    Abstract: To improve a laser system comprising at least one externally stabilizable semiconductor laser, from the laser active zone of which a laser radiation field can be coupled out, and a feedback element, disposed externally in the laser radiation field, which couples out, from the laser radiation field, a feedback radiation field having a defined wavelength and bandwidth, and couples back same into the active laser zone for determining the wavelength and bandwidth of the laser radiation field, in such a way that the wavelength stabilization may be achieved more cost-effectively, it is proposed that the feedback element is a resonant waveguide grating which reflects back a portion of the laser radiation field lying within an angular acceptance range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Universitaet Stuttgart Institut fuer Strahlwerkzeuge
    Inventors: Marwan Abdou Ahmen, Andreas Voss