Abstract: A laser system includes a resonator having two gain modules generating pulses, coupled with intra-cavity polarization into a single beam line, using a single output coupler. A laser controller controls the laser heads to emit pulses in rapid succession, such as pulse pairs separated by a time interval of less than about 1 millisecond, and in some embodiments in a range from about zero (overlapping) to about 100 microseconds. Also a system adapted for metrology using particle image velocimetry PIV uses the resonator. For PIV, optics are provided in the output beam paths which expand the beam to form pulsed illumination sheets. A camera is used to capture images of the pulsed illumination sheets for analysis.

Abstract: The invention relates to instruments which include radiometers and which generate a laser beam for striking a target at a distance to assist in aiming the instrument at a selected area of a target. Provision is made for splitting a single beam, used for instance for centering the instrument on the target, into a plurality of beams for creating a pattern or for defining an area on the target. When a single beam is split, the resultant plural beams produced are of relatively lower power, which may be insufficient for visibility on a target at a distance. The invention provides apparatus to increase the power of the single laser beam when it is split, so as to provide plural beams of appropriately higher power and visibility.

Abstract: A system and method for selectively process material on a processing surface of a printing form to create a fine structure or pattern for images or text. At least one fiber laser comprising a pump source and a laser fiber is provided. A laser gun is mounted adjacent the printing form and has at least a focusing optics. The fiber laser outputs a laser beam which is diffraction-limited to permit the focusing optics to focus the laser beam onto the processing surface of the printing form as a spot having a spot size sufficiently small to process the processing surface to create the fine structure or pattern images or text.

Abstract: A laser survey instrument includes a laser source; a beam waist position varying optical system having a movable lens group through which a laser beam emitted from the laser source passes, so that the movement of the movable lens group in an optical axis direction causes the beam waist position of the laser beam to vary; a rotatable head portion from which the laser beam transmitted through the beam waist position varying optical system is emitted; a reciprocating-scan angle setting device for setting a reciprocating-scan angle of the rotatable head portion in accordance with position data of the movable lens group of the beam waist position varying optical system; and a head portion controller for reciprocally moving the head portion by the reciprocating-scan angle.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for flexibly and precisely varying temporal placement and duration of pulses, within a train of high speed, high power optical pulses. The invention includes optics adapted for focusing on a layer of an information storage media. An optical pulse generator is coupled with the layer through the optics for generating a train of optical pulses, wherein each pulse has a respective temporal placement within the train and has a respective pulse duration. The respective pulse duration of each pulse is controlled by an amount of an analog duration control voltage, in accordance with a WRITE STRATEGY, which is based on a physical property of the layer of the information storage media. Similarly the respective temporal placement of each pulse is controlled by an amount of an analog temporal placement control voltage, in accordance with the WRITE STRATEGY.

Abstract: When CW laser is irradiated on a semiconductor film while being relatively scanned in a fabrication process of a semiconductor device, many crystal grains extending in a scanning direction are formed. The semiconductor film irradiated in this way has characteristics substantially approximate to those of a single crystal in the scanning direction. However, because productivity and uniformity of laser annealing are low, mass-production is difficult. A plurality of laser beams is processed into linear beams and is allowed to possess mutually superposing portions to form a more elongated linear beam and to thus improve productivity. The linear beams the overlapping to one another have a positional relation satisfying a predetermined limitation formula, and uniformity of laser annealing can be remarkably improved.

Abstract: An apparatus for laser beam targeting and method of laser cutting or marking of an article is disclosed. In one aspect of the invention, the laser beam targeting apparatus comprises at least one laser scan head comprising at least one motor driven deflector for scanning a linearly polarized laser beam across a target, and a polarization control device comprising at least one Brewster plate wherein the polarization control device rotates the Brewster window around an axis parallel to the laser beam to thereby gradually transmit or deflect the laser beam in order to control the level of laser beam energy scanning across the target in accordance with the movement of the at least one deflector and a laser scanner.

Abstract: A laser process in which stripe formation due to laser annealing is prevented and uniform laser annealing is made over the whole surface of a substrate. A laser beam having an energy distribution with an edge which has a nearly vertical shape l used, and when scanning of the laser beam is carried out, the scanning is carried out while the edge having the nearly vertical shape is made the front of the scanning.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling resonance within a resonator-enhanced optical system provides improved tracking performance in resonator-enhanced optical measurement and data storage and retrieval systems. The system includes an illumination subsystem and a detection subsystem with an optical resonator interposed in an optical path between the illumination subsystem and the detection subsystem. The resonance of the optical resonator is tuned, either by changing the wavelength of the illumination subsystem or the geometric path length within the resonator. Closed-loop feedback control signals can thereby maintain resonance at a desired operating point. The feedback control signal components can be further used to provide measurement data if the resonance of the optical resonator is a function of a measured surface, such as when a reflective surface of the resonator is a surface under measurement.

Abstract: The invention is a dual function laser device for use in night vision systems. The invention uses lenses to cause one portion of a laser beam to converge to a target point and another portion of the beam to diverge. The divergent portion is variable in size and illuminates a viewable area around the target point. Rather than use two lasers to create an illuminated view area around an illuminated target point, the invention uses a combination of a lens and a sub-aperture lens arrangement to create two illuminations from a single laser.

Abstract: Two semiconductor laser light sources for outputting light of two properly selected wavelengths are employed as excitation light sources. That is, as excitation light sources, there are used a first semiconductor laser excitation light source for exciting ion from a base level to a laser low level or an energy level higher than the laser low level and a second semiconductor laser excitation light source having a wavelength different from that of the first excitation light source for exciting ion from a laser low level to a laser high level. For example, an amplification fiber uses a fluoro zircon ate glass as a base material. Two multiple wavelength couplers are disposed at the input side of the amplification fiber. The multiple wavelength couplers are connected to the first excitation light source and the second excitation light source, respectively.

Abstract: A thermally wavelength tunable laser having selectively activated gratings includes a core, more than one periodic arrangement adjacent to the core, and thermo-optical material adjacent to each periodic arrangement. At an off temperature, the refractive index of the periodic arrangement and the adjacent thermo-optical material is the same. By selectively changing the temperature and hence the refractive index in the thermo-optical material adjacent to a selected periodic arrangement, the selected periodic arrangement forms a diffraction grating which can be tuned over a selected wavelength range. By selecting different periodic arrangements, different, non-overlapping wavelength ranges can be selected and the laser can be tuned over a broad range of wavelengths.

Abstract: The present invention provides a semiconductor laser, an optical head, an optical disk apparatus and the manufacturing method of the semiconductor laser wherein the recording density of a recording medium can be enhanced by increasing the intensity of a laser beam output from a small aperture and the miniaturization and the enhancement of a data transfer rate are enabled. For the semiconductor laser, a low-reflective multilayer film is buried in the small aperture and further, a TiO2 film having a high refractive index is arranged on the side of the surface of an opening. The wavelength of a laser beam is reduced in the TiO2 film and near-field light easily leaks out from the aperture provided to a metallic shade.

Abstract: A laser projector for projecting a 3-D image onto an object. The laser projector has an optics module, a controller module, a power module, and a timing module. The timing module coupled with the optics module measures the distance between the laser projector and the object.

Abstract: A laser scanning apparatus comprises a light source, a deflecting unit, a rotating guide, a drive motor and an image forming lens. The light source emits laser beams. The deflecting unit deflects the laser beams emitted by the light source into a scanning direction. The rotating guide has a plurality of guide holes for scanning the laser beams at a constant velocity, the rotating guide accommodating the deflecting unit and being positioned so that the light source lies on central axis of the rotating guide. The drive motor rotates the rotating guide while engaged with it, and the image forming lens focuses the laser beams passing through the guide holes of the rotating guide onto a surface.

Abstract: To restrain nonuniformity of irradiation when a linear laser beam is irradiated by scanning the beam, linear laser pulses are irradiated by scanning the pulses in an oblique direction by which irradiation is carried out without overlapping peaks periodically present in the longitudinal direction of the linear laser beam and accordingly, nonuniformity of irradiation can be restrained.

Abstract: A laser treatment apparatus is provided which is capable of irradiating a laser beam to the position where a TFT is to be formed over the entire surface of a large substrate to achieve the crystallization, thereby forming a crystalline semiconductor film having a large grain diameter with high throughput. A laser treatment apparatus includes a laser oscillation device, a lens for converging a laser beam, such as a collimator lens or a cylindrical lens, a fixed mirror for altering an optical path for a laser beam, a first movable mirror for radially scanning a laser beam in a two-dimensional direction, and an f&thgr; lens for keeping a scanning speed constant in the case of laser beam scanning. These structural components are collectively regarded as one optical system. A laser treatment apparatus shown in FIG. 1 has a structure in which five such optical systems are placed.

Abstract: A system using several wavelengths, preferably from the output of a single laser, is described for curing a dual cure glue seal that affixes two substrates to form a liquid crystal display panel. Here the liquid crystal is already in place before the glue seal is cured so that a high temperature bake to promote the sealant curing is not permissible . The multiple wavelengths from the single source of radiation result both from frequency doubling and mixing of the fundamental laser to achieve frequency tripling. Generally a UV wavelength is required for curing the photolytic component of the glue seal so that in the present invention the fundamental from a ˜1 micron (1000 nm) wavelength laser is frequency tripled. The UV is scanned along the entire peripheral region of the glue seal.

Abstract: A method and a system for generating grating images with an improved speed is disclosed. The system utilizes a coherent light source for providing a coherent beam L, an exposure control device for controlling the exposure of the coherent beam L, a beam guiding device for controlling the pitch and the orientation of each grating, a symmetrical beam generating device for splitting the coherent beam L into two symmetrical coherent beams, a local scan device for allowing the two coherent beams to intersect and form a standing wave, at different position in a small local scan area in order to combine different gratings in the local scan area, a photosensitive material for recording the standing wave, and a supporting device for supporting and moving the photosensitive material so as to combine different local scan area, and obtain a large scale grating image.

Abstract: In order to extend the life of the laser light source and to reduce the operating costs, a method for operating a laser light source, in particular for scanning in a confocal scanning laser microscope, the laser light source being supplied with electricity via a power pack, is one wherein the laser light source is operated with the requisite power essentially only during the working beam time, preferably during the data acquisition. When a pulsed laser light source is used, the working beam time, in particular the data acquisition, is essentially synchronized with the emission cycle of the laser light source.

Abstract: An object is to obtain an even energy distribution of a laser beam in one direction, thereby conducting a uniform laser annealing on a film. A laser irradiation apparatus comprising: a lens for dividing a laser beam in one direction; and an optical system for overlapping the divided laser beam, characterized in that the shape of the laser beam entering into the lens has edges vertical to the above-mentioned direction.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method capable of producing, at a high throughput, a large-area FPD such as a liquid crystal display panel or O-ELD having a horizontal scanning circuit portion including a TFT characteristic having a high drive current (a high mobility), and a pixel portion and a vertical scanning circuit portion each of which contains crystal grains excellent in uniformity.

Abstract: One of objects of the present invention is to provide a method of carrying out a laser annealing with sufficient uniformity and high productivity in a wide thickness range of a non-single crystal semiconductor film. According to one aspect of the present invention, a laser irradiation apparatus for carrying out irradiation while scanning a linear laser beam in a beam width direction is characterized in that the laser beam on an irradiation surface has a first energy density in a first beam width and a second energy density in a second beam width, and the second energy density is higher than the first energy density.

Abstract: There is provided a beam homogenizer which can unify the energy distribution of a linear laser beam in a longitudinal direction. In the beam homogenizer including cylindrical lens groups for dividing a beam, and a cylindrical lens and a cylindrical lens group for condensing the divided beams, the phases, in the longitudinal direction, of linear beams passing through individual cylindrical lenses of the cylindrical lens group for condensing the divided beams are shifted, and then, the beams are synthesized, so that the intensity of interference fringes of the linear beam on a surface to be irradiated is made uniform.

Abstract: An ion laser apparatus includes a laser tube, first and second mirrors, a mirror angle adjusting mechanism, and an alignment controller. The first and second mirrors are disposed to sandwich the laser tube. The mirror angle adjusting mechanism adjusts an angle of at least one of the mirrors while scanning the mirror within a predetermined angle width. The alignment controller determines a scan angle width of the mirror in accordance with a light intensity distribution of a laser beam such that a variation value of the laser beam output from the laser tube falls within a predetermined width. A mirror angle adjusting method for this ion laser apparatus is also disclosed.

Abstract: Laser annealing is performed by irradiating, while scanning, a semiconductor thin-film with laser light. The laser light that is linear on the irradiation surface is moved in its line-width direction and applied non-continuously. The laser light has, in its line-width direction, an energy density profile that assumes a step-like form in which the energy density varies in a step-like manner. In particular, the scanning pitch D and the step widths Ln are so set as to satisfy a relationship Ln≧D.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to precisely correct the luminous energy of a laser beam on a scanned surface which varies according to scanning and varies according to an angle of incidence with the scanned surface when a laser beam emitted from a semiconductor laser for emitting a laser beam having luminous energy according to supply current is scanned on the scanned surface via a scanning optical system.

Abstract: A cost-effective and accurate light source deice for use in an image forming apparatus and including semiconductor lasers is disclosed. The device needs only a minimum number of parts, obviates displacements during assembly, and allows collimator lenses to be adhered by photo-curable adhesive. Even when temperature around the device varies, the distance between the semiconductor lasers in a beam pitch direction varies little.

Abstract: An optical beam deflector in which a crosssection of an incident optical (e.g., laser) beam is divided into a first plurality of portions (micro crosssections) by an array of first lenses, a plurality of phases of the optical beam in the first micro crosssections are respectively modified by an array of first optical phase modulators so that a desired phase distribution is realized over the crosssection of the optical beam, and thereafter the crosssection of the optical beam is further divided into a plurality of second micro crosssections, and a plurality of phases of the optical beam in the second micro crosssections are respectively modified by an array of second optical phase modulators. An array of second lenses is provided corresponding to the second optical phase modulators to collect a plurality of portions of the optical beam output from the second optical phase modulators.

Abstract: A laser imaging apparatus is provided with a light source unit that emits a laser beam including a first beam and a second beam. The central axes of the first beam and the second beams substantially coincide with each other. The first beam includes non-visible light, and the second beam includes visible light. The imaging apparatus further includes a modulating system that modulates the beam emitted by the light source unit, a deflecting system that deflects the beam modulated by the modulating system to scan within a predetermined angular range, and an imaging optical system that converges the deflected beam to form a scanning beam spot on a surface to be scanned.

Abstract: An optical information reproducing device enables enhancement of information reading accuracy by correcting spherical aberration even if the spherical aberration occurs due to a thickness error in the transparent substrate of an optical disk. The correction amount of the spherical aberration is always changed such that the tracking servo gain in the tracking servo becomes maximum.

Abstract: This invention provides compact, fixed-wavelength and tunable fiber-optic lasers comprising a gain medium, for example a semiconductor, half-cavity VCSEL, or an organic light emitting polymer, within a Fabry-Perot cavity wherein one of the mirrors forming the cavity is a mirror integral with a fiber, for example a mirror (metallic or dielectric, for example) deposited at a fiber end, a reflective tap within an optical fiber, a fiber Bragg Grating (FBG), or a fiber loop mirror. Semiconductor gain material can be bulk semiconductor material or comprise a semiconductor multiple quantum well region. The gain medium itself is not confined to a fiber.

Abstract: A laser writing system includes a high reflector and an output coupler that define an oscillator cavity. A gain medium and a mode locking device are positioned in the oscillator cavity. A diode pump source produces a pump beam that is incident on the gain medium and an output beam is produced. A support holds a workpiece. Means are provided for directing the output beam across the workpiece.

Abstract: An optical scanning device is provided with a light source that emits a light beam, a driver that controls output power and modulation of the light beam emitted by the light source, a controller that transmits, to the driver, power control data and modulation data respectively used for controlling the output power and modulation of the light beam. The optical scanning device is further provided with a single data bus that connects the driver and the controller. The power control data and the modulation data being transmitted through the single data bus at different timing.

Abstract: A laser lithography system in which two or more lasers provide laser illumination for two or more lithography exposure tools through a laser beam multiplexer. The mulitplexer contain several mirror devices each having a multi-reflectance mirror with surfaces of different reflectance and an adjusting mechanism for positioning one of the surfaces to intersect a laser beam from at least one of the lasers and direct a portion of it to at least one of the exposure tools.

Abstract: A light-source device of a multi-beam scanning apparatus including a plurality of semiconductor lasers, collimator lenses provided for the semiconductor lasers and a holder member integrally holding the semiconductor lasers and the collimator lenses. The semiconductor lasers are pressed into the holder member, and the collimator lenses are bonded to the holder member with a part of each edge portion of the collimator lenses adjusted in position relative to said holder member. Positions of press-in portions of the holder member for the semiconductor lasers are relatively deviated and formed in such a manner that adhesive layers for bonding the holder member and the collimator lenses have a same thickness.

Abstract: To restrain nonuniformity of irradiation when a linear laser beam is irradiated by scanning the beam, linear laser pulses are irradiated by scanning the pulses in an oblique direction by which irradiation is carried out without overlapping peaks periodically present in the longitudinal direction of the linear laser beam and accordingly, nonuniformity of irradiation can be restrained.

Abstract: A plurality of lasers (having openings 170) are formed at predetermined positions at equal intervals on at least two main scanning lines on a semiconductor substrate 100. The lasers have each a predetermined beam diameter and take different positions in the main scanning direction, thereby providing a two-dimensional surface emitting laser array emitting laser beams through a lens system to form a pixel line with no gap on the main scanning line of an image formation face moving in the sub-scanning direction. The two-dimensional surface emission laser array is used to provide a laser beam scanner, a laser beam recorder, and a laser beam recording method.

Abstract: A second harmonic generator comprising a semiconductor laser as an excitation light source and a resonator having a solid laser crystal excited by the excitation light source, a control element for controlling the wavelength of a first oscillation wave generated from the solid laser crystal and a nonlinear crystal for wavelength converting the first oscillation wave as a fundamental wave into a second harmonic wave as a second oscillation wave, wherein the components of the resonator are arranged in the order of a first laser mirror, solid laser crystal, wavelength control element, nonlinear crystal and second laser mirror from the input side of the excitation light.

Abstract: A light beam scanning apparatus employs a movable reflector (32) having a large number of flat reflective sides (44) and a deflector (16) which shifts the light beam (10) at high speed across a plurality of the reflective sides (44). The movement of the reflector (32) is synchronized with the deflection of the light beam (10) to produce a desired scan pattern in a first scan direction (X). The reflective sides (44) of the movable reflector (32) may be angled relative to each other in a second direction (Y) to produce different scan lines thereby providing an X-Y scan pattern. The combined high speed beam deflection and motion of the reflector (32) provide scanning of the beam (10) in parallel scan segments thereby providing high scanning speed of the beam (10) with a high degree of resolution.

Abstract: The invention is a circuit for monitoring the wavelength of a laser device such as a semiconductor laser. A piezoelectric resonator is positioned in the path of the light beam so as to form a Fabry-Perot cavity. The changes in the reflectivity of the cavity are detected as the resonator is driven by an oscillator circuit, and an error signal is produced in response thereto when the wavelength of the laser device strays from a desired value.

Abstract: A method for exposing light sensitive material to provide exposure patches representing the material sensitivity and which minimizes the effects of intermittency of the light sensitive material, including providing a source of laser light by producing a laser light beam by a continuous wave pump laser which produces a first beam of light and a continuous wave dye laser responsive to the beam of light to produce a second beam of light having gaussian intensity distributions in two orthogonal directions; shaping the second light beam so as to produce a substantially square wave intensity distribution in one direction, while the other direction has a gaussian distribution; and scanning the shaped second light beam through a target of different uniform densities and onto light sensitive material so as to produce a series of exposure patches in one scan of different densities but with the density in each exposure patch being uniform, whereby the effect of intermittency in the light sensitive material is minimized.

Abstract: An autofocusing system for a laser transmitter is provided. A laser beam is swept across a target having a plurality of sections. The target includes a first reflective section and a second reflective section with a non-reflective section positioned therebetween. A photodetector detects a signal representative of the laser beam reflected from the target. The laser beam is focused by adjusting the focusing lens until a ratio of the duration of the non-reflective portion of the signal to the sum of the durations of the reflective portions of the signal is maximized.

Abstract: A plurality of lasers (having openings 170) are formed at predetermined positions at equal intervals on at least two main scanning lines on a semiconductor substrate 100. The lasers have each a predetermined beam diameter and take different positions in the main scanning direction, thereby providing a two-dimensional surface emitting laser array emitting laser beams through a lens system to form a pixel line with no gap on the main scanning line of an image formation face moving in the sub-scanning direction. The two-dimensional surface emission laser array is used to provide a laser beam scanner, a laser beam recorder, and a laser beam recording method.

Abstract: A laser scanning unit emits a laser beam for scanning a surface within a predetermined scanning range. The laser scanning unit has a laser diode, and a laser diode controller for controlling the laser diode to emit the laser beam. The laser beam has an intensity set in accordance with image data corresponding to one of a plurality of predetermined graduation steps within an intensity range defined by a first intensity and a second intensity greater than the first intensity. The laser scanning unit is further provided with a first adjusting system for adjusting the first intensity to become a first predetermined intensity, and a second adjusting system for adjusting the second intensity to become a second predetermined intensity. One of the first adjusting system and the second adjusting system is actuated during each scanning operation, and are actuated alternately during successive scanning operations.

Abstract: In order to set the output optical power of a laser diode precisely and under digital control without expensive digital to analog conversion devices, a digital controller provides a sequence of pulses. A capacitor is charged by these pulses to produce a control voltage which controls the current through the laser diode via an operational amplifier driver stage. The output power obtained from the laser as detected by a photodetector, which is optically coupled to the laser and may be packaged therewith, is monitored by the computer so as to determine the rate at which laser power changes and indirectly at the rate at which the capacitor charges. This rate may vary depending upon environmental conditions and manufacturing tolerances. Based upon the charging rate, a pulse is generated and used to either provide additional charge or to charge the capacitor to the voltage corresponding to the desired optical power output.

Abstract: Laser annealing is performed by irradiating, while scanning, a semiconductor thin-film with laser light. The laser light that is linear on the irradiation surface is moved in its line-width direction and applied non-continuously. The laser light has, in its line-width direction, an energy density profile that assumes a step-like form in which the energy density varies in a step-like manner. In particular, the scanning pitch D and the step widths L.sub.n are so set as to satisfy a relationship L.sub.n .gtoreq.D.

Abstract: A semiconductor laser array driving method for driving a semiconductor laser array having a plurality of light-emitting points arranged on a base member. The semiconductor laser array driving method has a step of driving the plurality of light-emitting points by a driving pulse current of a pulse width and a duty factor meeting an inequality: .DELTA.T.sub.1 /.DELTA.T.sub.0 <1/2, where .DELTA.T.sub.0 is a temperature rise in active layers of the light-emitting points when the semiconductor laser array is driven in a continuous drive mode using a continuous current, and .DELTA.T.sub.1 is a temperature rise in the active layers of the light-emitting points when the semiconductor laser array is driven in a pulse drive mode using a pulse current. In the semiconductor laser array driving method, the plurality of light-emitting points are driven by a driving pulse current having a duty factor of 0.4 or below meeting an inequality: y<3.1 exp(-8.9x), where x is a duty factor and y is a pulse width (.mu.s).

Abstract: There is disclosed a vertical cavity laser diode (VCSEL) assembly with an integral set of detectors for the purpose of individually monitoring and adjusting the output power of each laser diode. A plate which has a plurality of light detectors and a plurality of apertures is bonded to a laser light source which has a plurality of VCSELs. Each aperture of the plate is aligned with a corresponding VCSEL and each light detector is electrically connected to a corresponding VCSEL.

Abstract: A linear swept frequency generator includes a signal generator that generates an output signal having a frequency that varies between a first frequency and a second frequency. A delay element, such as an optical fiber having a reflector at one end, is configured to receive the output signal and to produce a delayed version of the output signal. This delayed version of the output signal is provided, along with the output signal, to a mixer that combines the signals to produce a reference signal. Finally, a feedback path between the mixer and the signal generator provides the reference signal to the signal generator so that the signal generator controls the frequency of the output signal in response to the reference signal.