Plural Active Media Or Active Media Having Plural Dopants Patents (Class 372/68)
  • Patent number: 7756176
    Abstract: An interband resonant tunneling intersubband transition laser is disclosed, and includes a semiconductor substrate, and a first cladding layer, an active region structure layer and a second cladding layer formed on the semiconductor substrate. The active region structure layer includes quantum well layers and quantum barrier layers that are alternately stacked and have a broken energy bandgap. Thus, the interband resonant tunneling intersubband transition laser operates in a cascade mode in which an intersubband radiative transition and interband tunneling of carriers consecutively and repetitively occur in the active region structure layer, and thus can achieve a high output from a simple, compact structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Gyungock Kim, In Gyoo Kim, Junghyung Pyo, Ki Seok Chang
  • Publication number: 20100166027
    Abstract: A laser apparatus with all optical-fiber includes a plurality of pumping light sources in different wave bands and an optical-fiber laser system. The optical-fiber laser system includes an optical fiber at least doped with erbium (Er) element and doped with or not doped with ytterbium (Yb) element according to a need. The optical-fiber laser system outputs a laser light through the pumping light source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2009
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Applicant: INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Yao-Wun Jhang, Chien-Ming Huang, Hsin-Chia Su, Shih-Ting Lin, Li-Ting Wang, Hong-Xi Cao
  • Patent number: 7709103
    Abstract: The present invention provides a nano particle phosphor with superior luminous characteristic formed using nitride semiconductor material, a method of manufacturing the phosphor with high production yield, and a light emitting device using the phosphor. The phosphor is formed of a columnar crystal having a diameter of at most 3 nm, a light emitting region and a light absorbing region are defined in the columnar crystal, and the light emitting region and the light absorbing region are adjacent to each other along a longitudinal direction of the columnar crystal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hajime Saito
  • Patent number: 7706423
    Abstract: In a dual-wavelength semiconductor laser in which a first semiconductor laser element and a second semiconductor laser element are integrated onto a substrate made of a compound semiconductor, a constituent material of an etching stopper of the first semiconductor laser element is a material which allows diffusion of impurities less easily than a constituent material of an etching stopper of the second semiconductor laser element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Kume, Toru Takayama, Shouichi Takasuka, Isao Kidoguchi
  • Patent number: 7649698
    Abstract: Laser light is emitted from a laser oscillator, and the laser light is made to enter a beam expander optical system including a concave lens through a correction lens. The laser oscillator, the correction lens and the concave lens are disposed so that, when an emission point of the laser oscillator is a first conjugate point, a point at which an image at the first conjugate point is formed through the correction lens is a second conjugate point, a distance between the correction lens and the second conjugate point is b, a focal length of the concave lens is f, and a distance between the correction lens and the concave lens is X, the X satisfies b?3|f|?X?b+|f|.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2010
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Koichiro Tanaka
  • Patent number: 7646796
    Abstract: A laser. The novel laser includes a gain medium, a pump source adapted to optically excite the gain medium in a first location, and a resonator adapted to extract energy from the gain medium in a second location distinct from the first location. In an illustrative embodiment, the gain medium is comprised of a plurality of solid-state gain particles suspended in a fluid. The gain medium is adapted to flow, and optical excitation of the gain medium occurs outside of the resonator. In a preferred embodiment, the flow velocity and the density of gain particles in the gain medium are adjusted for optimal absorption efficiency during optical excitation and then for optimal extraction efficiency in the resonator. In addition, the resonator may be shaped for optimal extraction efficiency, while pump modules that hold the gain medium during optical excitation are shaped for optimal absorption efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2010
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Alexander A. Betin, Kalin Spariosu
  • Patent number: 7639723
    Abstract: A tunable laser is provided, including: a multiple ring resonator that is formed by coupling ring resonant elements having different optical path length from each other; an input/output-side waveguide connected to one of the ring resonant elements; a reflection-side wave guide connected to another one of the ring resonant elements; a PLC substrate on which the multiple ring resonator, the input/output side waveguide, and the reflection-side waveguide are formed; a high reflection film provided to the reflection-side waveguide; an SOA connected to the input/output-side waveguide; film heaters and a phase control region of the SOA for changing the resonant wavelength of the multiple ring resonator; and a light-receiving element for detecting the resonant wavelength of the multiple ring resonator in a thru port of a directional coupler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2009
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 7633991
    Abstract: An ultra-low heat laser that does not rely on florescence cooling. Generally, the inventive laser includes a pump source operable at a pump frequency and a gain medium disposed to receive energy from the source and lase at a frequency close to the pump frequency. In the illustrative embodiment, the laser is a solid state laser having a gain medium which is resonantly pumped to lase at a frequency within 5% of the pump frequency. However, in the best mode and in accordance with the present teachings, the gain medium lases at a frequency within 1% of the pump frequency. In the illustrative embodiment, the laser gain medium ion has a rich Stark energy level structure and the laser active gain medium has oscillator strengths at transitions wavelengths that allow an ultra-low quantum defect operation. The pump source has a wavelength output centered to correspond to a predetermined pump band and an emission band subtended by an absorption bandwidth thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventor: Kalin Spariosu
  • Patent number: 7630423
    Abstract: A glaze soldered solid-state laser active medium. The novel laser active medium includes a first section of a first material, a second section of a second material, and a layer of ceramic glaze joining the two sections. The first and second materials may be identical, similar, or dissimilar, and may include crystals or ceramics. The glaze is a multi-oxide eutectic ceramic glaze having a refractivity, light absorption, thermal expansion, and fusion temperature that are compatible with the first material. The sections are joined using a novel glaze soldering process that includes the steps of positioning the sections, applying the ceramic glaze between the sections, and firing the glaze to solder the sections together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Michael Ushinsky, Alexander A. Betin, Richard Gentilman, Patrick K. Hogan, Randal W. Tustison
  • Patent number: 7609741
    Abstract: A laser system may include a first portion of laser host material adapted for amplification of laser radiation and a second portion of laser host material surrounding the first portion which may be adapted for suppression of ASE. The first portion of laser host material and the second portion of laser host material may be respectively doped at a different predetermined concentration of laser ions. A heat exchanger may be provided to dissipate heat from the first portion and the second portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Jan Vetrovec
  • Patent number: 7602831
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser device includes a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, an active region formed on the second surface of the substrate, a cladding layer formed on the active region, and an insulation region formed in the cladding layer to form on the second surface of the substrate a first laser region having a first size and a second laser region having a second size different from the first size. The first laser region is used for generating a first optical spectrum having a first laser mode channel space. The second laser region is used for generating a second optical spectrum having a second laser mode channel space. A combination of the first optical spectrum and the second optical spectrum forms a single mode laser. Without any gratings, the semiconductor laser device is easy to be fabricated and has a low fabrication cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Rong Xuan, Yao-Lin Huang, Yu-Chen Yu, Yen Chu
  • Patent number: 7599408
    Abstract: A tunable laser source has a first laser source to generate a low power continuous wave laser light having a wavelength ?1. A second laser source generates a low power continuous wave laser light having a wavelength ?2. A pump laser source generates a high power pulsed laser light having a wavelength ?0. A first optical parametric amplifier (OPA) receives the laser light having a wavelength ?1 and the laser light having a wavelength ?0 and generates a high power pulsed laser light having a wavelength ?1. A second optical parametric amplifier (OPA) receives the laser light having a wavelength ?2 and the laser light having a wavelength ?0 to and generates a high power pulsed laser light having a wavelength ?2. A difference frequency generator (DFG), receives the high power pulsed laser light having a wavelength ?1 and the high power pulsed laser light having a wavelength ?2 and provides a high power pulsed laser light having a wavelength ?3 wherein ?3=?1*?2/(?2??1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Frederick R. Vachss
  • Patent number: 7593444
    Abstract: Various methods and apparatuses are described in which an array of optical gain mediums capable of lasing are contained in a single integral unit. The array may contain four or more optical gain mediums capable of lasing. Each optical gain medium capable of lasing supplies a separate optical signal containing a band of wavelengths different than the other optical gain mediums capable of lasing in the array to a first multiplexer/demultiplexer. A connection for an output fiber exists to route an optical signal to and from a passive optical network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: Novera Optics, Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne V. Sorin, Ben J. Vakoc
  • Patent number: 7577177
    Abstract: A laser chamber is provided that increases power, initiation, and discharge efficiency over single chamber lasers by providing a multi-fold laser chamber, protrusions, discharge segmentation and inversion techniques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: Videojet Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: Nathan Paul Monty
  • Patent number: 7545840
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a method that can provide regions having different thicknesses of a laminated body containing an organic compound with a light-emitting property in the same element and also can apply an electric field uniformly in all the regions of the element without depending on the thickness of the laminated body containing an organic compound with a light-emitting property. One laser element of the present invention has a laminated body containing an organic compound with a light-emitting property between two electrodes, and the laminated body includes a mixed layer of a metal oxide and an organic compound, which has a thickness distribution. The laser element emits light having different wavelengths in regions having different thicknesses of the mixed layer of a metal oxide and an organic compound, by applying voltage between two electrodes to feeding a current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2009
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Mikio Yukawa
  • Patent number: 7539223
    Abstract: A light emitting device includes a light emitting element which emits light with a first wavelength; and a light emitting conversion unit for converting the light with the first wavelength by using wavelength conversion materials including a short wavelength conversion material and a long wavelength conversion material, the short wavelength conversion material being that which emits light with a second wavelength longer in wavelength than the light with the first wavelength, by absorbing the light with the first wavelength, and the long wavelength conversion material being that which emits light with a wavelength longer than the second wavelength by absorbing the light with the first wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Seiichi Tokunaga
  • Patent number: 7535945
    Abstract: Second and third p-side pad electrodes are formed on an insulating film of a blue-violet semiconductor laser device on both sides of a first p-side pad electrode. The second p-side pad electrode and the third p-side pad electrode are formed separately from each other. Solder films are formed on the upper surfaces of the second and third p-side pad electrodes respectively. A fourth p-side pad electrode of a red semiconductor laser device is bonded onto the second p-side pad electrode with the corresponding solder film sandwiched therebetween. A fifth p-side pad electrode of an infrared semiconductor laser device is bonded onto the third p-side pad electrode with the corresponding solder film sandwiched therebetween. The second and third p-side pad electrodes are formed separately from each other, so that the fourth and fifth p-side pad electrodes are electrically isolated from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Bessho, Masayuki Hata, Daijiro Inoue
  • Patent number: 7535947
    Abstract: A laser rod is provided having a tailored gain profile such that the quality of the output beam is enhanced. The laser rod has a concentration of dopant ions having a first valence that is relatively high at the center of the rod and decreases to the surface of the rod. The laser rod further has a concentration of interstitial ions and dopant ions having a second valence that is lower than the first valence, the concentration being relatively high at the surface of the rod and decreasing to the center of the rod. Methods are provided for creating a layer of inactive laser species in the near surface region of a laser rod using interstitial dopant ions and for reducing the near surface absorption of incident photons intended to induce lasing in a laser rod using a layer of inactive laser ions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: David S. Sumida, Kevin W. Kirby
  • Patent number: 7522647
    Abstract: An intrinsic GaAs waveguide layer is formed on a p-type AlGaAs cladding layer, a quantum dot active layer is formed further thereon. An n-type AlGaAs cladding layer is formed on the center portion of the quantum dot active layer. Thus-configured semiconductor laser is allowed to successfully suppress the area of the p-n junction plane to a small level, and to obtain a high level of reliability, because there is no need of processing the center portion of the quantum dot active layer, contributive to laser oscillation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignees: Fujitsu Limited, The University of Tokyo
    Inventors: Nobuaki Hatori, Tsuyoshi Yamamoto, Koji Otsubo, Yasuhiko Arakawa
  • Patent number: 7519092
    Abstract: An optical apparatus including a tunable master laser from which all or some of a beam is injected into at least one “slave ” laser having a cavity with an amplifier medium and a dynamic holographic medium that forms a self-adapted spectral filter to maintain oscillation of the slave laser at a wavelength imposed by the master laser during injection after injection has stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignees: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - CNRS, Universite Paris-SUD
    Inventors: Nicolas Dubreuil, Gilles Pauliat, Gérald Roosen
  • Patent number: 7518787
    Abstract: A laser light source is disclosed having a laser oscillator producing an output beam; a first amplifier amplifying the output beam to produce a first amplified beam, and a second amplifier amplifying the first amplified beam to produce a second amplified beam. For the source, the first amplifier may have a gain medium characterized by a saturation energy (Es, 1) and a small signal gain (go, 1); and the second amplifier may have a gain medium characterized by a saturation energy (Es, 2) and a small signal gain (go, 2), with (go, 1)>(go, 2) and (Es, 2)>(Es, 1). In another aspect, a laser oscillator of a laser light source may be a cavity dumped laser oscillator, e.g. a mode-locked laser oscillator, q-switched laser oscillator and may further comprising a temporal pulse stretcher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Cymer, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander N. Bykanov, Jerzy R. Hoffman, Igor V. Fomenkov, William N. Partlo
  • Patent number: 7502391
    Abstract: Apparatus for providing optical radiation includes a pump source and at least one first amplifying waveguide. The first amplifying waveguide emits optical radiation in excess of 1400 nm when pumped by the pump source. In one embodiment, the pump source can include a plurality of laser diodes and a plurality of second amplifying waveguides. In this arrangement the first amplifying waveguide is pumped by the second amplifying waveguides, the second amplifying waveguides are pumped by the laser diodes, and the second amplifying waveguides are configured to improve the beam quality of radiation emitted by the laser diodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Assignee: SPI Lasers UK Limited
    Inventors: Malcolm Paul Varnham, Mikhail Nicholaos Zervas, David Neil Payne, Lars Johan Albinsson Nilsson
  • Patent number: 7430230
    Abstract: An improved tube solid-state laser (SSL) is provided utilizing diode pumping, microchannel cooling, optics, and/or new coating and bonding processes. In one example, an amplifier module for the SSL includes a tube of laser gain material, a first substrate and a second substrate including microchannels adjacent an interior and exterior surface of the tube, respectively, and a plurality of diode bars arranged exterior to the second substrate. Advantageously, thermal lensing effects, birefringence, bifocussing, and alignment problems associated with typical tube SSLs are eliminated or reduced while providing high beam quality and high average power levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2008
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Michael S. Savich
  • Patent number: 7408970
    Abstract: A laser-resonator terminated by two end mirrors is folded by a plurality of OPS-structures and a plurality of fold-mirrors. The OPS-structures are energized by focused radiation from diode-laser bars. The fold-mirrors are configured and arranged with respect to the OPS-structures and the end-mirrors such that a beam of laser radiation circulating in the resonator has about the same dimensions on each OPS-structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: Coherent, Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne S. Mefferd, Juan L. Chilla
  • Patent number: 7408968
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser device includes: a first light emitting device, the first light emitting device including a first first-conductive-type cladding layer, a first active layer having a first window region in the vicinity of a light emitting edge surface and a first second-conductive-type cladding layer stacked in this order on a substrate; and a second light emitting device, the second light emitting device including a second first-conductive-type cladding layer, a second active layer having a second window region in the vicinity of a light emitting edge surface and a second second-conductive-type cladding layer stacked in this order on the substrate. In the semiconductor laser device, respective lattice constants of the first second-conductive-type and second second-conductive-type cladding layers are adjusted to compensate for a difference in diffusion rate of an impurity between the first window region in the first active layer and the second window region in the second active layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiya Fukuhisa, Masaya Mannoh, Hidetoshi Furukawa
  • Publication number: 20080175288
    Abstract: A laser system may include a first portion of laser host material adapted for amplification of laser radiation and a second portion of laser host material surrounding the first portion which may be adapted for suppression of ASE. The first portion of laser host material and the second portion of laser host material may be respectively doped at a different predetermined concentration of laser ions. A heat exchanger may be provided to dissipate heat from the first portion and the second portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2007
    Publication date: July 24, 2008
    Inventor: Jan Vetrovec
  • Patent number: 7382817
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser comprises two optical cavities, each comprising an optical waveguide bounded by two partially reflecting elements. The two optical waveguides are disposed on a substrate to form a substantially V-shaped geometry with substantially no cross-coupling at the open end and a predetermined cross-coupling at the closed end for achieving an optimal single-mode selectivity of the laser. The first cavity has a length such that its resonant wavelengths correspond to a set of discrete operating channels. The second cavity has a slightly different length so that only one resonant wavelength coincides with one of the resonant wavelengths of the first cavity over the operating spectral window. The lasing action occurs at the common resonant wavelength. In operation, at least a portion of the optical waveguide in each of the first and the second cavities are forward biased to provide substantially equal round-trip optical gains.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Inventor: Jian-Jun He
  • Patent number: 7374959
    Abstract: A two-wavelength semiconductor laser device includes a first conductive material substrate having thereon first and second regions separated from each other. A first semiconductor laser diode is formed on the first region. A non-active layer is formed on the second region and has the same layers as those of the first semiconductor laser diode. A second semiconductor laser diode is formed on the non-active layer. A lateral conductive region is formed at least between the first and second semiconductor laser diodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chong Mann Koh
  • Patent number: 7352789
    Abstract: Laser light is emitted from a laser oscillator, and the laser light is made to enter a beam expander optical system including a concave lens through a correction lens. The laser oscillator, the correction lens and the concave lens are disposed so that, when an emission point of the laser oscillator is a first conjugate point, a point at which an image at the first conjugate point is formed through the correction lens is a second conjugate point, a distance between the correction lens and the second conjugate point is b, a focal length of the concave lens is f, and a distance between the correction lens and the concave lens is X, the X satisfies b?3|f|?X?b+|f|.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2008
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Koichiro Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20080069156
    Abstract: Two end facets of a solid state laser medium function as resonating mirrors that cause a pumping light beam to resonate within the solid state laser medium, which becomes a resonator. A pumping means outputs the pumping light beam, having at least two longitudinal modes and a coherence length greater than or equal to the resonator length of the resonator, to be input to the solid state laser medium such that the laser beam resonates within the resonator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2007
    Publication date: March 20, 2008
    Applicant: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Tadashi KASAMATSU
  • Patent number: 7336690
    Abstract: A simple and high-reliability constitution provides a solid-state laser system that allows a high-output, long-pulse-width laser beam to be obtained. A solid-state laser system that includes a solid-state laser medium 1, a light source 2 for pumping the solid-state laser medium 1, two reflecting mirrors 3 and 4 for flanking the solid-state laser medium 1, thereby constituting a laser resonator, is constituted in such a manner that a virtual-mirror plane 5 is defined in the space between the solid-state laser medium 1 and the reflecting mirror 4; a lens 6 is provided between the virtual-mirror plane 5 and the reflecting mirror 4; and, by means of the forward and backward paths along the route from the virtual-mirror plane to the reflecting mirror by way of the lens, the virtual-mirror plane in the forward path and the virtual-mirror plane in the backward path are made in an optically conjugated relationship with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Junichi Nishimae, Tetsuo Kojima
  • Publication number: 20070297481
    Abstract: Laser light emission across a wide bandwidth emission spectrum is enabled in a laser device equipped with solid gain media. The laser device is equipped with: a resonator; a plurality of solid gain media, having fluorescent spectra that at least partially overlap with each other, provided within the resonator; and pumping means, for pumping the plurality of solid gain media. The entire fluorescent spectrum width of the plurality of solid gain media is greater than the fluorescent spectrum width of each solid gain medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2007
    Publication date: December 27, 2007
    Applicant: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Takashi Adachi
  • Publication number: 20070297480
    Abstract: Mastering tools and systems and methods for forming a cell on the mastering tools are provided. An exemplary method includes emitting a first laser light pulse from a laser for a first predetermined time interval such that at least a portion of the first laser light pulse forms the cell on the mastering tool. The cell has an opening size within a range of 10-100 micrometers and an aspect ratio less than or equal to 1.25.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2006
    Publication date: December 27, 2007
    Inventors: Adel F. Bastawros, Grant Hay, Karkala Arun Kumar, Phil M. Peters
  • Patent number: 7310358
    Abstract: Lasers, such as in laser structures, can include two or more semiconductor structures that are substantially identical or that include the same semiconductor material and have substantially the same geometry, such as in closely spaced dual-spot two-beam or quad-spot four-beam lasers. The lasers can also include differently structured current flow or contact structures or different wavelength control structures. For example, current flow or contact structures can be differently structured to prevent or otherwise affect phase locking, such as by causing different threshold currents and different operating temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2007
    Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated
    Inventors: Christopher L. Chua, Michael A. Kneissl, Patrick Y. Maeda, Noble M. Johnson, Ross D. Bringans, John E. Northrup, David K. Biegelsen
  • Patent number: 7286576
    Abstract: The object of a pulsed laser arrangement and a method for adjusting the pulse length of laser pulses is to change the pulse length over a wide range substantially independent from the laser output power, in particular to counteract a reduction in output and to prevent a negative change in the beam parameters when lengthening the pulse by means of varying the oscillator output. A multistage laser amplifier in which an amplifying medium with a small-signal amplification of more than 10 is provided in every stage (17-22) is arranged downstream of a diode-pumped Q-switched solid state laser oscillator with variable oscillator output for supplying oscillator pulses. The total small-signal amplification brought about by all of the amplifying media is greater than 1000. The pulsed laser arrangement and the method can be used for industrial and medical purposes requiring pulse lengths in the range of several hundred ns to several ?s at pulse repetition rates between 10 kHz and 200 kHz.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: Jenoptik Laser, Optik, Systeme GmbH
    Inventors: Guenter Hollemann, Martin Leitner, Jan Symanowski
  • Patent number: 7280570
    Abstract: A device for generating a light beam having several wavelengths includes a beam recombiner arrangement for recombining several laser light beams having different wavelengths. The beam recombiner arrangement includes several individual beam recombiners arranged in a row or in groups parallel to each other and each configured to couple in a respective laser light beam having a wavelength of a defined wavelength range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Inventors: Volker Seyfried, Rafael Storz
  • Patent number: 7280577
    Abstract: Laser equipment in which pumping every dependence of output beam diameter and beam wavefront curvature is reduced. The total pumping energy of at least one of laser active media disposed beyond terminal laser beam waists, among beam waists, is approximately one-half of the total pumping energy of laser active media disposed between two adjacent beam waists.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Susumu Konno, Tetsuo Kojima, Shuichi Fujikawa
  • Patent number: 7260127
    Abstract: A thin layer of ionic crystal is grown on a substrate. The crystal could be any type of ionic crystal, such as sodium chloride or potassium chloride. The crystal is a pure form of the chosen compound and may contain contaminants which would shift the wavelength of created color centers. On top of the first crystal layer, a second thin layer of a different type of crystal is deposited, such as lithium fluoride or sodium fluoride. When these two layers are radiated with gamma rays, they will each form color centers at the spots radiated. Because of the difference in crystalline properties of the two different ionic crystal centers, their color centers would be at different wavelengths. Each of the two separate ionic crystals will emit light at different characteristic wavelengths when illuminated at their unique absorption frequencies. Each layer can be made to lase separately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2007
    Assignee: Kulite Semiconductor Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony D. Kurtz, Joseph R. Van DeWeert
  • Patent number: 7260132
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser apparatus includes multiple light emitting points, and a simple ridge stripe structure for each of the light emitting points. At least one of the light emitting points is disposed at a location that is 0% to 15% of the width of a substrate of the apparatus from the center, in the width direction, of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2007
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takehiro Nishida, Tsutomu Yamaguchi, Motoharu Miyashita
  • Patent number: 7254152
    Abstract: A system and a method for providing more gain while minimizing the potential for parasitic oscillation and amplified spontaneous emissions in an optically pumped optical amplifier or laser system, utilizing a partitioned monolithic gain element. The monolithic gain element being partitioned into discontinuous amplifying gain regions such that parasitic modes and amplified spontaneous emissions are substantially obviated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2007
    Assignee: HRL Laboratories, LLC
    Inventors: David S. Sumida, David M. Pepper
  • Patent number: 7215696
    Abstract: A system and a method for providing more gain while minimizing the potential for parasitic oscillation and amplified spontaneous emissions in an electrically pumped optical amplifier or laser system, utilizing a partitioned monolithic gain element. The monolithic gain element being partitioned into discontinuous amplifying gain regions such that parasitic modes and amplified spontaneous emissions are substantially obviated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2007
    Assignee: HRL Laboratories, LLC
    Inventors: David M. Pepper, David S. Sumida
  • Patent number: 7209506
    Abstract: An optically pumped radiation-emitting semiconductor device with a surface-emitting quantum well structure (10), which has at least one quantum layer (11), and an active layer (8) for generating pump radiation (9) for optically pumping the quantum well structure (10), which is arranged parallel to the quantum layer (11). The semiconductor device has at least one emission region (12), in which the quantum well structure (10) is optically pumped, and at least one pump region (13). The quantum well structure (10) and the active pump layer (8) extend over the pump region (13) and over the emission region (12) of the semiconductor device, and the pump radiation (9) is coupled into the emission region (12) in the lateral direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2007
    Assignee: Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH
    Inventor: Tony Albrecht
  • Patent number: 7194014
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser device having two active-layer stripe structures includes an n-InP substrate, an n-InP clad layer, a lower GRIN-SCH layer, an active layer, an upper GRIN-SCH layer, a p-InP clad layer, and a p-InGaAsP contact layer grown in this order, in a side cross section cut along one of the stripe structure. A high-reflection film is disposed on a reflection-side end surface, and a low-reflection film is disposed on an emission-side end surface. A p-side electrode is disposed on only a part of the upper surface of the p-InGaAsP contact layer so that a current non-injection area is formed on an area absent the p-side electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: The Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junji Yoshida, Naoki Tsukiji, Toshio Kimura, Masashi Nakae, Takeshi Aikiyo
  • Patent number: 7184456
    Abstract: A dual wavelength semiconductor laser emitting apparatus including a substrate having a first laser emitting device and a second laser emitting device, and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. The manufacturing method includes stacking an active layer of the second laser emitting device onto an upper cladding layer of the first laser emitting device, which is taken as a lower cladding layer of the second laser emitting device. Thereby the first laser emitting device and the second laser emitting device formed on the substrate possess a common electrode and respectively oscillate laser beams having different wavelengths in the semiconductor laser emitting apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: Epistar Corporation
    Inventors: Shu-Wei Chiu, Chih-Sung Chang
  • Patent number: 7120340
    Abstract: An optically active linear single polarization device includes a linearly birefringent and linearly dichroic optical waveguide (30) for propagating light and having single polarization wavelength range (48). A plurality of active dopants are disposed in a portion (34) of the linearly birefringent and linearly dichroic optical waveguide (30) for providing operation of the waveguide in an operating wavelength range (650) for overlapping the single polarization wavelength range (48).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: George E. Berkey, Ming-Jun Li, Daniel A. Nolan, Donnell T. Walton, Luis A. Zenteno
  • Patent number: 7120184
    Abstract: A system for generating a powerful laser beam includes a first laser element and at least one additional laser element having a rear laser mirror, an output mirror that is 100% reflective at normal incidence and <5% reflective at an input beam angle, and laser material between the rear laser mirror and the output mirror. The system includes an injector, a reference laser beam source, an amplifier and phase conjugater, and a combiner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventor: John F. Holzrichter
  • Patent number: 7042921
    Abstract: A semiconductor complex coupled light emitting device is disclosed having a lower cladding layer, an optical cavity formed adjacent the lower cladding layer and an upper cladding layer formed adjacent the optical cavity. The optical cavity includes a lower multi-quantum well active region formed from a first high reactivity material system and an upper multi-quantum well diffraction grating structure formed from a second low reactivity material system that is not subject to oxidation when etched.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Emcore Corporation
    Inventors: Bernd Witzigmann, Charles Tsai
  • Patent number: 6996142
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a light source device and a wavelength control device therefor. The light source device includes a plurality of laser diodes, a temperature sensor provided in the vicinity of the plurality of laser diodes, a control loop for controlling the temperatures of the plurality of laser diodes according to an output from the temperature sensor to thereby control the oscillation wavelengths of the plurality of laser diodes, and a unit for compensating temperature control conditions for the laser diodes other than a reference laser diode selected from the plurality of laser diodes, according to a change in temperature control condition for the reference laser diode. By the compensation of the temperature control conditions, the oscillation wavelength of each laser diode can be easily stabilized to each wavelength channel of WDM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Yutaka Kai, Hideyuki Miyata
  • Patent number: 6956881
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an arrangement of semiconductor diode lasers stacked on top of one another, which is arranged on a substrate (1). A first diode laser (12) is arranged on the substrate (1), and a second diode laser (13) is arranged on the first diode laser (12). Between the first diode laser (12) and the second diode laser (13) there is a contact layer (6). The contact layer (6) comprises a first conductive layer (18) of a first conduction type and a second conductive layer (20) of a second conduction type and an interlayer (19) which is arranged between the first and second conductive layers (18, 20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2005
    Assignee: Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH
    Inventors: Martin Behringer, Karl Ebeling, Thomas Knödl, Johann Luft
  • Patent number: 6950451
    Abstract: A multi-beam semiconductor laser device capable of emitting respective laser beams with uniform optical output levels and enabling easy alignment is provided. This multi-beam semiconductor laser device (40) is a GaN base multi-beam semiconductor laser device provided with four laser stripes (42A, 42B, 42C and 42D) which are capable of emitting laser beams with the same wavelength. The respective laser oscillating regions (42A to 42D) are provided with a p-type common electrode (48) on a mesa structure (46) which is formed on a sapphire substrate (44), and have active regions (50A, 50B, 50C and 50D) respectively. Two n-type electrodes (52A and 52B) are provided on an n-type GaN contact layer (54) and located as common electrodes opposite to the p-type common electrode (48) on both sides of the mesa structure (46). The distance A between the laser stripe (42A) and the laser stripe (42D) is no larger than 100 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2005
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Tojo, Tomonori Hino, Osamu Goto, Yoshifumi Yabuki, Shinichi Ansai, Shiro Uchida, Masao Ikeda