Optical Fiber Laser Patents (Class 372/6)
  • Patent number: 10903087
    Abstract: A laser processing method for processing a substrate having a device formed on the front side, an electrode pad being formed on the device. The method includes applying a pulsed laser beam to the back side of the substrate at a position corresponding to the electrode pad, thereby forming a fine hole in the substrate so that the fine hole reaches the electrode pad, detecting first plasma light generated from the substrate by the application of the pulsed laser beam to the substrate and also detecting second plasma light generated from the electrode pad by the application of the pulsed laser beam to the electrode pad, and stopping the laser beam when the second plasma light is detected. Time intervals of the pulsed laser beam repeatedly applied to the same fine hole are set to 0.1 ms or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: DISCO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroshi Morikazu
  • Patent number: 10879666
    Abstract: The present invention comprises a core (11) and a primary coating (12) that is lower in refractive index than the core (11) and that covers the side surface of the core (11) except in a coating-removed section (I0). The side surface of the core (11), in at least part of the coating-removed section (I0), is covered with an intermediate-refractive-index resin part (14) that is lower in refractive index than the core (11) and that is higher in refractive index than the primary coating (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: FUJIKURA LTD.
    Inventor: Ryokichi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 10862263
    Abstract: Good femtosecond fiber laser performance is achieved by producing picosecond Raman shifted pulses of sufficient intensity to undergo self-phase modulation (SPM), thus causing the pulses to advantageously spread spectrally, which then makes it possible to temporally compress the pulses with an optical compressor to produce femtosecond pulses with high peak power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: MPB COMMUNICATIONS INC.
    Inventors: Alaa Al-Kadry, Vladimir Karpov, Wallace Raymond Lovett Clements
  • Patent number: 10855048
    Abstract: Briefly, methods and/or systems, are described for a wavelength-dispersive mode-locked fiber-ring laser, which generates an Airy beam profile for stable optical pulses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: The University of Hong Kong
    Inventors: Kin Yip Kenneth Wong, Xiaoming Wei
  • Patent number: 10802120
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a lidar system includes a light source configured to emit (i) local-oscillator light and (ii) pulses of light, where each emitted pulse of light is coherent with a corresponding portion of the local-oscillator light. The lidar system also includes a receiver configured to detect the local-oscillator light and a received pulse of light, the received pulse of light comprising light from one of the emitted pulses of light that is scattered by a target located a distance from the lidar system. The local-oscillator light and the received pulse of light are coherently mixed together at the receiver. The receiver includes one or more detectors configured to produce one or more respective photocurrent signals corresponding to the coherent mixing of the local-oscillator light and the received pulse of light. The receiver also includes a pulse-detection circuit configured to determine a time-of-arrival for the received pulse of light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: Luminar Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph G. LaChapelle, Jason M. Eichenholz, Alex Michael Sincore
  • Patent number: 10782478
    Abstract: A differential mode attenuation compensator includes a first multi-mode optical fiber and a third multi-mode optical fiber in which a plurality of propagation modes propagate in a wavelength of a propagating optical signal; and a second multi-mode optical fiber including a core and a clad and arranged with a central axis aligned between the first multi-mode optical fiber and the third multi-mode optical fiber, in which each loss in the plurality of propagation modes is different in the first multi-mode optical fiber and the third multi-mode optical fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaki Wada, Taiji Sakamoto, Takayoshi Mori, Shinichi Aozasa, Takashi Yamamoto, Kazuhide Nakajima
  • Patent number: 10751833
    Abstract: A fiber coupling device includes a housing and a window provided in the housing. The fiber coupling device is configured to collectively guide plural laser beams to at least a first fiber, the plurality of laser beams each being emitted from a corresponding one of plural external laser light sources and entering through a laser beam inlet. The housing is configured such that the laser beams enter the housing from the laser beam inlet. The window is provided inside the housing and faces the laser beam inlet. The fiber coupling device is not required to detach when an optical axis is adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Doukei Nagayasu, Hitoshi Nishimura, Makoto Ryudo, Jingbo Wang, Yoshiaki Takenaka, Kiyotaka Eizumi, Hideaki Yamaguchi, Ryo Ishikawa, Masatoshi Nishio
  • Patent number: 10751834
    Abstract: An optical beam delivery device is formed of optical fibers configured for beam divergence or mode coupling control. An incident optical beam propagates through a first length of fiber, which is coupled to a second length of fiber and has a first refractive index profile (RIP). The first RIP enables, in response to an applied perturbation, modification of the beam characteristics of the incident optical beam to form an adjusted optical beam having modified beam characteristics relative to beam characteristics of the incident optical beam. The second length of fiber is formed with one or more confinement regions defining a second RIP and arranged to confine at least a portion of the adjusted optical beam. The second and first lengths of fiber are tapered in the direction of light beam propagation to control output beam divergence or susceptibility to beam mode coupling in the first length of fiber, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: nLIGHT, Inc.
    Inventors: Joona Koponen, Roger L. Farrow, Dahv A. V. Kliner
  • Patent number: 10749310
    Abstract: The invention relates to a MOPA laser system having at least one laser oscillator (MO), which generates laser radiation at an emission wavelength (?0), and having an optical amplifier (PA) downstream the laser oscillator (MO) in the propagation direction of the laser radiation, which optical amplifier amplifies the laser radiation and thereby spectrally broadens it to a useful bandwidth (??). It is an object of the invention to provide an improved MOPA laser system which is designed for a high power of the amplified laser radiation and which is insensitive to back-reflection. Unavoidable back-reflections should neither affect the output power of the optical amplifier (PA), nor lead to the destruction of the laser oscillator (MO) or other components of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Zur Forderung Der Angewandten Forschung E.V.
    Inventors: Nicoletta Haarlammert, Thomas Schreiber
  • Patent number: 10725243
    Abstract: A broadband light source apparatus, and corresponding method, includes a broadband light source configured to provide source light with a source wavelength spectrum having a centroid thermal sensitivity. The apparatus also includes a broadband optical filter characterized by a filter spectrum that has one or more spectral characteristics and a thermal sensitivity with magnitude and sign. The filter is configured to receive the source light and to deliver broadband output light with an output spectrum that is a function of the source and filter spectra and has an output centroid wavelength. The spectral characteristics and the magnitude and sign of the thermal sensitivity of the filter are configured to minimize a thermal sensitivity of the output centroid wavelength. The filter can be configured in view of a particular source spectrum to stabilize output centroid wavelength and maximize total output power passively with respect to ambient temperature fluctuations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventor: Gilbert D. Feke
  • Patent number: 10714888
    Abstract: A pulsed electromagnetic-wave generator includes an excitation light source, a laser resonator, a pulse generating unit, and a wavelength converting unit. Excitation light from the excitation light source enters the laser resonator. The pulse generating unit is configured to generate a pulsed light group including at least two or more pulses with different frequencies (?) and different oscillation timings (t) in one excitation process of the excitation light source, an oscillation frequency difference (??) between the pulses in the pulsed light group being an integral multiple of a Free Spectral Range (FSR) of the laser resonator. The pulsed light group enters the wavelength converting unit. The wavelength converting unit is configured to generate a pulsed electromagnetic wave in which a wavelength of each pulse in the pulsed light group is converted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Ikeoh, Yasuhiro Higashi, Yoshio Wada, Takumi Satoh, Hiroaki Minamide, Kouji Nawata, Yuma Takida
  • Patent number: 10705348
    Abstract: An optical power control system includes a laser source to provide an optical beam, a variable beam characteristics (VBC) fiber, and a controller operatively coupled to the VBC fiber and configured to control, in response to information indicating change in optical power of the optical beam, different states of perturbation so as to control optical power density.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: nLIGHT, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert J. Martinsen, Jacob L. Bell, Dahv A.V. Kliner, Roger L. Farrow
  • Patent number: 10697761
    Abstract: There is provided a system for measuring temperature and strain simultaneously utilizing Brillouin Scattering within an optical fiber. The system has a cladding, a first optical core within the cladding and a second optical core within the cladding and having a different refractive index profile and/or composition than the first core. Means to couple light into and out of said individual optical cores and/or from one optical core to the other within the fiber is provided along with means for calculating strain and temperature characteristics based on measured Brillouin frequencies for said optical cores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: OZ OPTICS LTD.
    Inventors: Omur M. Sezerman, Lufan Zou
  • Patent number: 10698110
    Abstract: The disclosed embodiments include an apparatus and method of using a laser to scan the ground or a target from an airborne or ground-based platform. In certain embodiments, the apparatus and method produces a 3-D elevation model of the terrain. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a pulsed laser, a receiver to detect and amplify the pulse after being reflected by objects on the ground (or the ground itself), and electronics which measures the time of flight of the optical pulse from which the slant range to the target is calculated. Technical advantages of the disclosed embodiments include avoiding blind zones to ensure that no laser shots are wasted. In certain embodiments for airborne applications, the apparatus may also be configured to maintain a constant swath width or constant spot spacing independent of aircraft altitude or ground terrain elevation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: TELEDYNE DIGITAL IMAGING, INC.
    Inventors: Chris Verheggen, Joe Liadsky, Michael Sitar, Daryl Hartsell
  • Patent number: 10693273
    Abstract: A reflector includes a gain fiber and a periodic refraction structure unit. The gain fiber has a core doped with a rare earth element. The periodic refraction structure unit includes a high-refractive-index region that has a predetermined width, that is formed at a predetermined spacing along an optical axis direction of the gain fiber, that is formed across an entire section of the core that is orthogonal to the optical axis of the core, and that has a first refractive index, and a low-refractive-index region that is formed adjacent to the high-refractive-index region, that has a width equal to the predetermined spacing, and that has a second refractive index lower than the first refractive index. A width di of an ith periodic structure of refractive index in the periodic refraction structure unit is given by the equation di=Hi·(?/(2·ni))+?/(4·ni).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA CHUO KENKYUSHO, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, TOYOTA SCHOOL FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Kazuo Hasegawa, Satoru Kato, Tomoya Okazaki, Kazuya Saito
  • Patent number: 10693275
    Abstract: A directly modulated semiconductor laser whose optical output can be modulated by varying the transmittance of an end reflector of the laser cavity. In an example embodiment, the end reflector can be implemented using a lightwave circuit in which optical waveguides are arranged to form an optical interferometer. At least one of the optical waveguides may include a waveguide section configured to modulate the phase of an optical beam passing therethrough in response to an electrical radio-frequency drive signal in a manner that causes the transmittance and reflectance of the end reflector to be modulated accordingly. Advantageously, relatively high (e.g., >10 GHz) phase and/or amplitude modulation speeds of the optical output can be achieved in this manner to circumvent the inherent modulation-speed limitations of the laser's gain medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: NOKIA SOLUTIONS AND NETWORKS OY
    Inventors: Po Dong, Guilhem De Valicourt
  • Patent number: 10682726
    Abstract: An optical beam delivery device. The device comprises a first length of fiber comprising a first RIP formed to enable the adjusting of one or more beam characteristics of an optical beam by a perturbation device. The optical beam delivery device further comprises a second length of fiber having a proximal end for receiving the optical beam from the first length of fiber and a distal end. The proximal end is coupled to the first length of fiber. The second length of fiber comprises a second RIP formed to confine at least a portion of the optical beam within one or more confinement regions. A beam modification structure is disposed at, or a distance from, the distal end of the second length of fiber. The beam modification structure is configured to modify at least one property of the optical beam chosen from beam divergence properties, beam spatial properties and beam directional characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: nLIGHT, Inc.
    Inventors: Ken Gross, Dahv A. V. Kliner, Roger Farrow
  • Patent number: 10677984
    Abstract: Disclosed are an optical beam delivery device, systems, and methods for sequentially adjusting, with respect to members of a set of confinement regions, a propagation path for establishing a controllable, temporally apparent intensity distribution. The disclosed techniques entail applying to a variable beam characteristics (VBC) fiber different states perturbation to change the propagation path and the members of the set of confinement regions through which a confined portion of an adjusted optical beam propagates, thereby establishing at an output end of the VBC fiber the controllable, temporally apparent intensity distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: nLIGHT, Inc.
    Inventors: Aaron W. Brown, Dahv A. V. Kliner, Roger L. Farrow
  • Patent number: 10663769
    Abstract: Systems and methods for modifying an optical beam and adjusting one or more beam characteristics of an optical beam are provided. The system may include a first length of fiber operably coupled with an optical beam source and configured to receive an optical beam therefrom. The system may also include a perturbation device operably coupled with the first length of fiber and configured to modify the optical beam traversing therethrough, and a second length of fiber operably coupled with the first length of fiber and configured to receive the modified optical beam therefrom. The system may further include a beam shaping assembly configured to receive the modified optical beam from the second length of fiber, adjust one or more beam characteristics of the modified optical beam, and direct the adjusted optical beam to a downstream process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: nLIGHT, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott Karlsen, Brian Victor, Dahv A. V. Kliner, Roger Farrow
  • Patent number: 10663768
    Abstract: An optical beam delivery device is configured to generate, from an optical beam, selectable intensity profiles. The device has a first length of fiber having a first refractive index profile (RIP), and a second length of fiber having second RIP that is different from the first RIP. The second length of fiber includes coaxial confinement regions arranged to confine at least a portion of an adjusted optical beam. The confined portion corresponds to an intensity distribution of different intensity distributions. The intensity distribution is established by a corresponding state of different states of perturbation that is applied to the device such that the confined portion is configured to provide, at an output of the second length of fiber, a selected intensity profile of the selectable intensity profiles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: nLIGHT, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert J. Martinsen, Dahv A. V. Kliner, Roger L. Farrow
  • Patent number: 10620448
    Abstract: A speckle-free imaging light source based on a random fiber laser (RFL) using a strong-coupling multi-core optical fiber, relating to a field of optical fiber laser illumination light source, is provided, mainly including a pumping source and an optical fiber loop mirror, and further including the strong-coupling multi-core optical fiber with/without a single-mode optical fiber. Through directly adopting the strong-coupling multi-core optical fiber or combining the single-mode optical fiber with the strong-coupling multi-core optical fiber to serve as a main device in the RFL-based illumination light source, the generated RFL has multiple transvers modes and low spatial coherence which prevent speckle formation during illumination, which provides an ideal illumination light source for high-speed full-field speckle-free imaging technology.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
    Inventors: Yunjiang Rao, Rui Ma, Weili Zhang, Bo Hu
  • Patent number: 10608399
    Abstract: A manufacturing technique of ultra-wideband high gain optical fibers and devices is disclosed, including: (1) manufacturing a gain fiber, which is a composite structural optical fiber, having a core composed of a plurality of sets of sector structures distributed symmetrically or a plurality of concentric ring structures. The core is composed of at least two kinds of rare-earth-ion-doped glass, and luminescence centers are located in different sector or ring structure regions; and (2) constructing a fiber laser: using the gain fiber, selectively exciting rare earth ions in different regions in the core by controlling a shape of pump light spot, and combining with fiber grating pairs to realize a tunable laser output. The present disclosure can manufacture gain fibers with high-gain and ultra-wideband characteristics by combining the design of the fiber structure and the control of the light field of the pump light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: South China University of Technology
    Inventors: Zhongmin Yang, Guowu Tang, Zhishen Zhang
  • Patent number: 10585043
    Abstract: Technologies are described for methods to fabricate lasers to amplify light. The methods may comprise depositing nanoparticles on a substrate. The length, width, and height of the nanoparticles may be less than 100 nm. The methods may further comprise distributing the nanoparticles on the substrate to produce a film. The nanoparticles in the film may be coupled nanoparticles. The coupled nanoparticles may be in disordered contact with each other within the film. The distribution may be performed such that constructive interference of the light occurs by multiple scattering at the boundaries of the coupled nanoparticles within the film. The methods may comprise exposing the film to a power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignees: Brookhaven Science Associates, LCC, Research Foundation of The City University of New York
    Inventors: Matthew Y. Sfeir, Kannatassen Appavoo, Xiaoze Liu, Vinod M. Menon
  • Patent number: 10560189
    Abstract: An optical network is suggested, comprising a first set of optical fibers, a multimode multiplexer, a multimode amplifier, a multimode demultiplexer, and a second set of optical fibers, wherein the first set of optical fibers is connected via the multimode multiplexer to the multimode amplifier and wherein the multimode amplifier is connected via the multimode demultiplexer to the second set of optical fibers. Accordingly, an optical network element is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: Xieon Networks S.à.r.l.
    Inventor: Lutz Rapp
  • Patent number: 10520660
    Abstract: A light guide plate suitable for use in a liquid crystal display device, the light guide plate comprising a glass plate and a light coupler bonded to a edge surface of the light guide plate. Also disclosed is a backlight unit for a liquid crystal display device employing the light guide plate, and a display device employing the backlight unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Sergey Anatol'evich Kuchinsky, Shenping Li, Aramais Robert Zakharian
  • Patent number: 10495816
    Abstract: An all-glass cladding mode stripper comprises a plurality of high refractive index, small diameter glass beads disposed along an exposed portion of the inner cladding region of an optical fiber. The unwanted low NA signal light (as well as any other type of stray light) propagating within the cladding layer is removed by refracting into the adjacent beads, where this captured light then scatters away from the optical fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: OFS FITEL, LLC
    Inventors: Lalitkumar Bansal, Clifford E Headley, Andrea Rosales-Garcia, Jerome C Porque
  • Patent number: 10488250
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method and to a device for quantitatively sensing the power fraction of a radiation background of a pulsed laser. The disclosure further relates to the use of a saturable element. The method includes modulating a measurement beam, which is emitted by the laser, by means of a saturable element in accordance with the fluence of the measurement beam, detecting, by means of a modulation beam power detector, the power of the measurement beam modulated by the saturable element, and determining the power fraction of the radiation background of the pulsed laser on the basis of the detected power of the measurement beam modulated by means of the saturable element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Universität Stuttgart
    Inventors: Stefan Piehler, Benjamin Dannecker, Jan Philipp Negel
  • Patent number: 10481339
    Abstract: Nano-particle based mode strippers for removing undesirable laser energy for laser systems. Nano-particle mode strippers having matched indices of refraction to the outer cladding remove cladding light converting it into heat. There are provided fibers having evanescent mode strippers having annular outer cores and claddings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Foro Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Ian Lee, Andrey Kuznetsov, Brian O. Faircloth
  • Patent number: 10483716
    Abstract: A photonic device comprising: a support; an intermediate layer comprising at least one dielectric material and a first and second excess thickness of silicon separated from each other by a space; a first patterned silicon layer at least partially forming a waveguide, and first to fifth waveguide sections; a first dielectric layer covering the first silicon layer and a gain structure comprising at least one gain medium in contact with the first dielectric layer; the second and fourth wave guide sections, the first and second excess thicknesses of silicon, and the first and second ends of the gain structure forming a first and second optical transition zone between a hybrid laser waveguide, formed by a central portion of the gain structure, the space and the third waveguide section and the first and fifth waveguide sections respectively. The invention also relates to a method of fabricating such a photonic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: COMMISSARIAT À L'ÉNERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ÉNERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Sylvie Menezo, Torrey Lane Thiessen, Joyce Kai See Poon
  • Patent number: 10466117
    Abstract: Provided are a temperature sensor and an active phase-shifted grating-based temperature sensing system, relating to a fiber sensing technical field. The temperature sensor comprises a pump laser, a wavelength division multiplexer, an optical detector and an active phase-shifted fiber grating with ? phase shift. Pump light emitted by the pump laser enters the active phase-shifted fiber grating through the wavelength division multiplexer. The active phase-shifted fiber grating absorbs the pump light and emits laser light, which travels back through the wavelength division multiplexer and enters the optical detector. The optical detector measures output power of the active phase-shifted fiber grating, to analyze the power to obtain ambient temperature of the active phase-shifted fiber grating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: LASER INSTITUTE OF SHANDONG ACADEMY OF SCIENCE
    Inventors: Jian Guo, Chang Wang, Jiasheng Ni, Gangding Peng, Zhiqiang Song, Haifeng Qi, Weitao Wang
  • Patent number: 10461489
    Abstract: Examples of the present invention include integrated erbium-doped waveguide lasers designed for silicon photonic systems. In some examples, these lasers include laser cavities defined by distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs) formed in silicon nitride-based waveguides. These DBRs may include grating features defined by wafer-scale immersion lithography, with an upper layer of erbium-doped aluminum oxide deposited as the final step in the fabrication process. The resulting inverted ridge-waveguide yields high optical intensity overlap with the active medium for both the 980 nm pump (89%) and 1.5 ?m laser (87%) wavelengths with a pump-laser intensity overlap of over 93%. The output powers can be 5 mW or higher and show lasing at widely-spaced wavelengths within both the C- and L-bands of the erbium gain spectrum (1536, 1561 and 1596 nm).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Purnawirman Purnawirman, Michael R. Watts, Ehsan Shah Hosseini, Jonathan B. Bradley, Jie Sun, Matteo Cherchi
  • Patent number: 10422487
    Abstract: A fiber optic light source in which input light with short and narrow band wavelength is converted/transformed into multi-band visible white light with high intensity output power is provided. The new light source comprises at least one homogenizing light guide element, and at least one photoluminescence element. It may also comprise at least one input element and an optical fiber. All or some of the elements may be integrated into an optical waveguide. In some embodiments, the at least one input element increases light transfer efficiency from a ray source to the at least one homogenizing light guide element component of the fiber optic light source. The at least one photoluminescence element can be a point or an extended form like a line or surface. The fiber optic light source output beam may also contain the input ray wavelength, which in turn can be from a fiber optic laser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: biolitec Unternehmensbeteiligungs II AG
    Inventors: Wolfgang Neuberger, Alexey Solomatin
  • Patent number: 10425162
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provides a deterministic scrambler (1) arranged in a multimode optical fiber (130) for scrambling light, the light comprising a set of optical signals propagated in said multimode optical fiber according to a set of propagation modes, each propagation mode being associated with a power value, wherein the scrambler is configured to determine a permutation of said propagation modes depending on the power values associated with said propagation modes, the scrambler being configured to redistribute the optical signals according to said permutation of the propagation modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: INSTITUT MINES-TELECOM
    Inventors: Ghaya Rekaya Ben-Othman, Yves Jaouen, El-Mehdi Amhoud
  • Patent number: 10416216
    Abstract: This disclosure concerns photonics and in particular the addressing of individual targets in solids. In aspect one there is provided a device comprising a solid substrate with one or more atomic scale targets in the substrate. A laser light is focused on a region of the substrate that contains a single target to selectively cause photoionization of the target. A charge sensor with sub-electron charge sensitivity is focussed on measuring the charge in the region of the substrate that contains a single target. In use, the device operates such that the laser is turned on to cause photoionization of the target, and the charge sensor detects the change in charge in the region of the substrate that contains the single target. In another aspect is the method for optically investigating individual nuclear spin states of single atoms by investigating both the Zeeman effect and the hyperfine interaction of the single atoms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignees: Australian National University
    Inventors: Sven Rogge, Matthew John Sellars, Chunming Yin, Jeffrey Colin McCallum, Gabriele Gaetano De Boo, Milos Rancic, Nikolas Stavrias
  • Patent number: 10418774
    Abstract: A method of spectrally multiplexing diode pump modules to increase brightness includes generating one or more pump beams from respective diode lasers at a first wavelength in a diode laser package, generating one or more pump beams from respective diode lasers at a second wavelength different from the first wavelength in the diode laser package, wavelength combining at least one of the pump beams at the first wavelength with at least one of the pump beams at the second wavelength to form one or more combined pump beams, and receiving the combined pump beams in a pump fiber coupled to the diode laser package. Laser systems can include multi-wavelength pump modules and a gain fiber having a core actively doped so as to have an absorption spectrum corresponding to the multiple wavelength, the gain fiber situated to receive the pump light and to produce an output beam at an output wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: nLIGHT, Inc.
    Inventors: David Martin Hemenway, David C. Dawson, Wolfram Urbanek, Roger L. Farrow, Dahv A. V. Kliner
  • Patent number: 10396521
    Abstract: A laser includes a traveling wave laser cavity with an active section, a pulse stretcher, and a pulse compressor. The pulse stretcher is coupled to the waveguide before the active section and the pulse compressor is coupled to the waveguide after the active section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
    Inventors: Geza Kurczveil, Raymond G. Beausoleil, Di Liang, Chong Zhang, David Kielpinski
  • Patent number: 10390995
    Abstract: Embodiments of this invention relate to a system and method for performing laser ophthalmic surgery. The surgical laser system configured to deliver a laser pulse to a patient's eye comprises a laser engine that includes a compressor configured to compress laser light energy received, the compressor comprising a dispersion or spectrum altering component provided on a computer controlled stage connected to a computing device. A user providing an indication of a desired pulse width received by the computing device causes the computing device to reposition the stage and the component provided thereon, resulting in a different pulse length being transmitted by the laser engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: AMO Development, LLC
    Inventor: Gennady Imeshev
  • Patent number: 10393889
    Abstract: A device and method for reading an exposed imaging plate generate read-out light and utilize a deflection unit to direct the read-out light in a scanning movement over the imaging plate. The deflection unit has a micromirror to deflect impinging read-out light towards the imaging plate. The micromirror can swivel about a first swivel axis and about a second swivel axis distinct from the first. A detector unit detects fluorescent light emitted from the imaging plate at locations where the read-out light impinges. An evaluating unit evaluates signals received from the detector unit and builds up an image that is stored in the imaging plate. The evaluating unit takes into account, when evaluating the signals received from the detector unit, that points on the imaging plate are subjected to the read-out light variably often and/or for variable time lengths while the micromirror oscillates about the first and the second swivel axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: DÜRR DENTAL AG
    Inventors: Bernd Philipps, Michael Weber, Alexander Hack
  • Patent number: 10379288
    Abstract: A self-fit optical filter includes a dual fiber collimator, a diffraction grating for spatially dispersing the input light beam into a plurality of sub-beams, a cylindrical lens for focusing each of the sub-beams at a saturable absorber which becomes saturated dependent on intensity of light, and a reflector for reflecting the sub-beams back along their optical paths. A method of filtering includes: demultiplexing an input beam into a plurality of sub-beams having distinct center wavelengths, at least partially absorbing one or more of the sub-beams by using a saturable absorber while allowing other sub-beams to pass through, substantially unattenuated, and multiplexing the sub-beams into an output optical signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Inventor: Lijie Qiao
  • Patent number: 10367328
    Abstract: A laser device with a ring laser resonator includes a polarization maintaining (PM) fiber, a first quarter waveplate, and an optical isolator. The PM fiber has a light input end and a light output end and is configured to guide a first linearly polarized light with a first phase along a fast axis of the PM fiber from the light input end and a second linearly polarized light with a second phase along a slow axis of the PM fiber from the input end. The first quarter waveplate is disposed at the light output end of the PM fiber and configured to convert the first and the second linearly polarized lights into left-handed and right-handed (or right-handed and left-handed) circularly polarized lights, respectively. The optical isolator is configured to unidirectionally transmit a laser pulse in the ring laser resonator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventor: Jin-Long Peng
  • Patent number: 10359584
    Abstract: A light source device includes: a laser diode bar comprising a plurality of strips configured to emit light in a wavelength region with a predetermined width; a light guiding part comprising a plurality of cores, each of which corresponds to a respective one of the plurality of strips, and on each of which light emitted from the respective one of the strips is incident; a diffraction grating on which light emitted from the cores is incident; and a resonator mirror on which light emitted from the diffraction grating is incident. The cores are disposed such that light emitted from the cores is incident on a region of the diffraction grating at different angles. The diffraction grating comprises a pattern configured to diffract light incident on the diffraction grating from the cores such that the diffracted light is emitted along a single optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: NICHIA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Norihiro Dejima
  • Patent number: 10337867
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a symmetrical wavelength multiplexor (SWM) that includes a first port that receives a depolarized beam of light of a first center wavelength for a first wavelength range. A second port of the SWM receives a second center wavelength of light for a second wavelength range that is greater than the first wavelength range. A third port of the SWM provides a substantially symmetrical wavelength output to drive a fiber optic gyroscope (FOG) in accordance with the second center wavelength. The depolarized beam of light of the first center wavelength travels from the first port to the second port of the SWM and light of the second center wavelength travels from the second port to the third port of the SWM. The SWM mitigates spectral asymmetries between orthogonal axes of the second wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Bassam S. Dimashkie, Steven M. Kim, Manfred Schiruska
  • Patent number: 10317212
    Abstract: Apparatus, systems, and methods associated with enhancement of phase response of intracavity phase interferometers are applicable in a variety of applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: STC.UNM
    Inventors: Jean-Claude Diels, Ladan Arissian, Matthias Lenzner, James Hendrie
  • Patent number: 10297974
    Abstract: A method of generating laser pulses (1) includes: creating a circulating light field in resonator device (11) having resonator length L and an intra-cavity dispersion and configured for supporting light field resonator modes, and generating a pulse train of laser pulses (1) by a mode-locking mechanism. Laser pulses (1) are generated with a repetition frequency and provide a frequency comb with carrier frequency ?o and comb modes in frequency space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Wissenschaften e. V.
    Inventors: Thomas Udem, Akira Ozawa
  • Patent number: 10295744
    Abstract: A coherent optical mixer circuit is provided that can measure a phase error without requiring a step of cutting away a delay circuit. Odd-numbered or even-numbered two of four inputs of an 4-input-and-4-output multimode interference circuit are connected to an input mechanism. The four outputs of the multimode interference circuit are all connected to an output mechanism to the exterior. Other two inputs of the multimode interference circuit are connected to two monitor waveguides. One of the monitor waveguide is longer than the other to configure a light delay circuit. The monitor waveguides constituting the light delay circuit are connected to the respective outputs of a 2-branched light splitter. The 2-branched light splitter has an input connected to a monitor light input mechanism from the exterior via a monitor input waveguide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
    Inventors: Shin Kamei, Makoto Jizodo, Hiroshi Fukuda, Kiyofumi Kikuchi, Ken Tsuzuki
  • Patent number: 10294421
    Abstract: There is provided a quantum dot comprising a core comprising a semiconductor and a shell substantially covering the core. The core has a first side and a second side opposite the first side. The core is disposed eccentrically inside the shell such that the shell is thinnest at the first side and thickest at the second side. Moreover, the shell has a thickness of greater than or equal to zero at the first side. The core and the shell have different respective lattice constants such that the shell exerts a straining force on the core. The straining force is configured to modify an excitonic fine structure of the core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: CHRISTIE DIGITAL SYSTEMS USA, INC.
    Inventors: Fengjia Fan, Oleksandr Voznyy, Michael Adachi, Randy Sabatini, Kristopher Bicanic, Sjoerd Hoogland, Edward Sargent
  • Patent number: 10281582
    Abstract: A LIDAR system is provided. The LIDAR system comprises at least one processor configured to: control at least one light source in a manner enabling light flux to vary over scans of a field of view using light from the at least one light source; control at least one light deflector to deflect light from the at least one light source; receive from at least one sensor, reflections signals indicative of light reflected from objects in the field of view; determine, based on the reflections signals of an initial light emission, whether an object is located in an immediate area of the LIDAR system and within a threshold distance from the at least one light deflector, and when no object is detected in the immediate area, control the at least one light source such that an additional light emission is projected toward the immediate area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Innoviz Technologies Ltd.
    Inventors: David Elooz, Amir Day, Amit Steinberg, Guy Zohar, Nir Osiroff, Omer David Keilaf, Oren Buskila, Ronen Eshel, Yair Antman
  • Patent number: 10277002
    Abstract: The system and method of integrated seed and high power pump source generates two wavelengths outside the effective gain bandwidth of a single gain medium without using two unique pump sources in a fiber amplifier train. The system and method uses a single pump power oscillator that passes a seed wavelength with no loss and minimal amplification to pump integrated amplifiers in both directions (forward and backward) resulting in amplification of the seed wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integrations Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin R. Johnson, Casey W. Jones
  • Patent number: 10270337
    Abstract: This application relates to a power converter for a computing device. The power converter can maintain an average output current while also allowing the output current to reach a peak current limit for periods of time. The average output current is maintained by enforcing a dynamic current limit on the output current. The dynamic current limit can change over time depending on whether the average output current is above or below an average current threshold. The changes to the dynamic current limit can occur at a rate defined by one or more time constants in order to reduce electromigration and maintain a temperature of the power converter below a predetermined temperature threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jamie L. Langlinais, Mark A. Yoshimoto
  • Patent number: 10252666
    Abstract: A vehicle lighting system includes a laser lighting device configured to provide a light source for a vehicle lighting device of the vehicle, and an indicator having a laser light icon. An indicator light source is configured to illuminate the laser light icon based on an operating state of the laser lighting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: Valeo North America, Inc.
    Inventors: David Egly, John Orisich