Particular Beam Control Device Patents (Class 372/9)
  • Patent number: 11960097
    Abstract: Disclosed is a combined lenses-based apparatus for line laser uniformity generation. The apparatus includes a laser diode, and an aspheric focusing lens and combined lenses that are arranged behind the laser diode sequentially. The combined lenses include a cylindrical lens and a plano-convex cylindrical lens. The cylindrical lens and the plano-convex cylindrical lens are arranged on an optical path sequentially. One end surface of the aspheric focusing lens is an aspheric surface. Light emitted by the laser diode is focused by passing though the aspheric focusing lens, and the combined lenses are able to disperse a focused beam into uniform line laser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: ELITE OPTOELECTRONICS CO., LTD
    Inventor: Yanlin Woo
  • Patent number: 11876335
    Abstract: A method and a system are provided to simultaneously generate blue-shifted and red-shifted femtosecond light sources with tunable spectral peak location and bandwidth, by controlling the input condition (chirp/spectrum) of a fiber-optic nonlinear propagation. The system comprises (A) a seed source, (B) a driving current controller to regulate the spectrum of the seed source, (C) a dispersion controller to control the chirp and pulse width of the seed source, (D) a fiber-optic spectral conversion module to shape and broaden the laser spectrum via fiber-optic nonlinear processes, and (E) a spectral selection module to filter out the required wave packets. With the simultaneous uses of the driving current controller and the dispersion controller, the light sources feature continuously tunable spectral peak with (1) a relatively constant output pulse energy or (2) a tunable spectral bandwidth at a specific peak location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: NATIONAL YANG MING CHIAO TUNG UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Shih-Hsuan Chia, Lu-Ting Chou, Dong-Lin Zhong
  • Patent number: 11658451
    Abstract: A laser transmitter including a waveform controller arranged to generate a waveform script having at least one of a pulse repetition frequency setting, a pulse duration setting, and a pulse amplitude pre-warp setting. The transmitter also includes an optical waveform generator arranged to: i) receive the waveform script, ii) generate pre-warped signal pulses based on the waveform script to compensate for gain distortion effects of a laser power amplifier, and iii) output the pre-warped signal pulses. The laser power amplifier is arranged to: i) receive the pre-warped signal pulses, ii) receive a continuous wave signal, and iii) output amplified signal pulses that maintain a substantially constant drive intensity at the input of a non-linear wavelength converter. The non-linear wavelength converter is arranged to receive the amplified signal pulses and emit wavelength-converted pulses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: RAYTHEON COMPANY
    Inventors: Robert D. Stultz, Derek Hendry, Eran Marcus
  • Patent number: 11578952
    Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus are described for a HERF weapon that may emit high-energy radio waves at a target based on locational information and a frequency associated with the target. The HERF weapon may receive the frequency and locational information from a sensing system. The HERF weapon may emit a high energy pulse toward the target and on the frequency associated with the target to disable or destroy the target without affecting nearby devices. The HERF weapon may allow the user to avoid detection by using a frequency that corresponds to the target's operating frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Science Applications International Corporation
    Inventor: George G. Fortney
  • Patent number: 11467263
    Abstract: A lidar system comprises an optical amplification laser source, a mirror, and a control circuit. The optical amplification laser source can generate laser pulses for transmission as laser pulses shots into a field of view, the optical amplification laser source comprising a seed laser, a pump laser, and an optical amplifier. The mirror can be is scannable to control where the laser pulse shots are fired into the field of view, and the control circuit can control the seed laser to adjust its seed energy to control energy levels for a first laser pulse shot and a second laser pulse shot within a pulse burst to be transmitted from the optical amplification laser source via the mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: AEYE, Inc.
    Inventors: Jordan Greene, Joel Benscoter, Luis Dussan, Allan Steinhardt, Philippe Feru, Igor Polishchuk, Alex Liang
  • Patent number: 11342722
    Abstract: Laser systems and methods are disclosed. One laser system comprises: a plurality of laser resonators, each resonator being operable to discharge an input laser beam; a relay assembly including at least one curved reflective surface that redirects each input laser beam, and reduces a beam size of the redirected beam; a galvo including a curved reflective surface that receives each redirected beam, and outputs a combined laser beam at power level greater than a power level of each laser input beam; and a coupling assembly that reduces spherical aberrations in the combined laser beam, and directs the combined laser beam into an optical fiber. In this system, the combined laser beam may have a maximum beam parameter product lower than a minimum beam parameter product of the optical fiber. Related systems and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc.
    Inventor: Honggang Yu
  • Patent number: 11249289
    Abstract: A spectral imager includes a filter array, a pixel array, and a lenslet array therebetween. The filter array includes a plurality of filter regions. The lenslet array includes a plurality of lenslets each configured to form a respective image of the filter array on a respective one of a plurality of regions of the pixel array. The spectral imager may also include a fore-optic lens, the filter array being located between the lenslet array and the fore-optic lens. The spectral imager may also include a fore-optic lens, the filter array being located between the lenslet array and the fore-optic lens. Each of the plurality of filter regions is configured to selectively transmit radiation based on wavelength and/or polarization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: BODKIN DESIGN AND ENGINEERING LLC
    Inventors: Andrew Bodkin, James T. Daly
  • Patent number: 11152756
    Abstract: The disclosure describes aspects of laser cavity repetition rate tuning and high-bandwidth stabilization of pulsed lasers. In one aspect, an output optical coupler is described that includes a cavity output coupler mirror, a piezoelectric actuator coupled to the cavity output coupler mirror, a locking assembly within which the cavity output coupler mirror and the piezoelectric actuator are positioned, and one or more components coupled to the locking assembly. The components are configured to provide multiple positional degrees of freedom for tuning a frequency comb spectrum of the pulsed laser (e.g., tuning a repetition rate) by adjusting at least one position of the locking assembly with the cavity output coupler mirror. A method of adjusting an output optical coupler in a pulsed laser is also described. These techniques may be used in different applications, including quantum information processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignees: UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK, IONQ, INC.
    Inventors: Christopher Monroe, Kai Hudek, Jonathan Mizrahi, Marko Cetina, Sarah Margaret Kreikemeier, Michael Goldman, Kristin Beck
  • Patent number: 11072094
    Abstract: A system for direct injection of selected thermal-infrared (IR) wavelength radiation or energy into articles for a wide range of processing purposes is provided. These purposes may include heating, raising or maintaining the temperature of articles, or stimulating a target item in a range of different industrial, medical, consumer, or commercial circumstances. The system is especially applicable to operations that require or benefit from the ability to irradiate at specifically selected wavelengths or to pulse or inject the radiation. The system is particularly advantageous when functioning at higher speeds and in a non-contact environment with the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: PRESSCO IP LLC
    Inventors: Don W. Cochran, Steven D. Cech, Noel Edward Morgan
  • Patent number: 10992103
    Abstract: A laser device includes a substrate including a principal surface and a recess provided in the principal surface; a laser oscillation unit fixed to the principal surface in direct contact with the principal surface or with an adhesive interposed between the laser oscillation unit and the principal surface, the laser oscillation unit having an emission surface from which laser light that diverges as the laser light travels is emitted along the principal surface; and a reflecting member fixed to a bottom surface of the recess and having an inclined surface that is inclined with respect to the principal surface so as to reflect the laser light. At least a portion of the inclined surface is positioned in a space inside the recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Sharp Fukuyama Laser Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Komada, Keisuke Miyazaki, Takashi Ono, Tetsuya Fujitani
  • Patent number: 10857722
    Abstract: A laser diode based system for direct injection of selected thermal-infrared (IR) wavelength radiation or energy into articles for a wide range of processing purposes is provided. These purposes may include heating, raising or maintaining the temperature of articles, or stimulating a target item in a wide range of different industrial, medical, consumer, or commercial applications. The system is especially applicable to operations that require or benefit from the ability to irradiate at specifically selected wavelengths or to pulse or inject the radiation. The system is particularly advantageous when functioning at higher speeds and in a non-contact environment with the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: Pressco IP LLC
    Inventors: Don W. Cochran, Steven D. Cech, Noel Edward Morgan, Denwood F. Ross, III
  • Patent number: 10840667
    Abstract: A method and a system for laser pulse wavefront correction and focusing optimization for laser Wakefield interaction to accelerate electrons to high energy, and more generally for laser matter interaction where both far field and intermediate field optimization are important, allowing a robust wavefront correction and focusing optimization with a high-power laser system at its nominal laser pulse energy and laser pulse duration. The method comprises, after laser beam focusing by focusing optics, coupling an imaging unit to a wavefront sensor, thereby measuring the laser beam wavefront, and adjusting the measured laser beam wavefront to converge to a reference wavefront of the imaging unit using a spatial phase-modifying device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: INSTITUT NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE
    Inventors: Sylvain Fourmaux, Stéphane Payeur, Jean-Claude Kieffer
  • Patent number: 10737507
    Abstract: A relative position detection method detecting a position of a light-emitting member relative to a lens array or a position of the lens array relative to the light-emitting member, in which the light-emitting member includes light-emitting elements arranged in a first direction and the lens array includes lenses arranged in the first direction and condenses light from the light-emitting elements to image positions of the light-emitting elements, optical axes of the lenses being orthogonal to the first direction. The method includes: causing the light-emitting elements to emit light; detecting, at a position displaced from the image positions along an optical axis direction, optical intensity distribution of light emitted from the light-emitting elements and transmitted through the lens array; and detecting a position of the light-emitting member relative to the lens array or a position of the lens array relative to the light-emitting member with use of the optical intensity distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Masayuki Iljima, Takaki Uemura, Makoto Obayashi
  • Patent number: 10498107
    Abstract: A laser device causes, with a plurality of laser media that generate laser beams having wavelengths different from one another, a convergent lens to cause laser beams each emitted from the plurality of laser media to overlap one another on a dispersive element to form a single combined beam. The dispersive element is positioned where the plurality of laser beams are caused to overlap one another by the convergent lens to form a single beam, causes a portion of the plurality of laser beams to return back toward the laser media as a first laser beam flux, and outputs another portion of the plurality of laser beams as a second laser beam flux having a single optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomohiro Kyoto, Junichi Nishimae, Tomotaka Katsura, Daiji Morita
  • Patent number: 10250823
    Abstract: A method of operating a hyperspectral imaging device includes receiving a light beam at a liquid crystal retarding device, and driving the liquid crystal retarding device with a pre-computed voltage waveform, wherein the voltage waveform is selected to reach a target optical retardance over time for the liquid crystal retarding device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated
    Inventors: Alex Hegyi, Joerg Martini
  • Patent number: 10054577
    Abstract: A method for determining geochemistry of at least one geological sample with laser-induced breakdown spectral measurements performed on the geological sample in a time variant manner with spectral acquisitions made after each of a plurality of measurement shots, spectral pre-processing performed as necessary, and subsequent analysis is applied to the collected data to determine at least one geochemistry parameter of the sample. The method can provide a rapid method to estimate thermal maturity of a sample, which does not require sample preparation, and which can be non-destructive with respect to portions of the sample. A system for performing the method also is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: Ingrain, Inc.
    Inventor: Kathryn Elizabeth Washburn
  • Patent number: 9964271
    Abstract: An illumination device for a motor vehicle includes a light source constructed of a number of semiconductor diodes which generate light in a first predetermined wavelength range, and a conversion layer on which a light beam generated from the light of the light source falls and by which the light beam is changed into a converted light beam. The light of the light beam is converted into a second predetermined wave length range by a converting material. The illumination device is designed such that a predetermined light distribution from the converted light beam is generated at a distance from the illumination device. The illumination device is characterized in that a structure having one or more walls with a predetermined depth in the direction of the thickness of the conversion layer is provided in at least one partial region of the surface of the conversion layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Helmut Erdl, Abdelmalek Hanafi
  • Patent number: 9716365
    Abstract: A fiber block is configured with a fiber block including a Nd-doped active fiber and a pump-light delivery fiber which has a stretch extending along the active fiber in a side-to-side configuration so as to lunch pump light into the Nd-doped core of the active fiber. The core of the active fiber is surrounded by at least one or more claddings which, like the core, have a double bottleneck cross-section with a relatively large-area central region and relatively small input and output regions. The pump light delivery fiber is structured to have a substantially dumbbell cross-section with a relatively small-area central region coextending with the central region of the active fibers. The active fiber is dimensioned so that the overall length of the active fiber is configured to provide for the maximal amplification of the laser signal in a 900 nm range while limiting amplification in the 1060 nm range to the preset threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: IPG PHOTONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Valentin P Gapontsev, Ilia Zaytsev, Mikhail Vyatkin
  • Patent number: 9559023
    Abstract: Systems and methods for reducing beam instability in laser annealing are disclosed. The method includes: directing a conditioned laser beam through an opening in an aperture using a beam-redirecting element; forming a line image on the surface of the semiconductor wafer by imaging the aperture onto the surface, thereby locally heating the surface to form an annealing temperature distribution; detecting a thermal emission from the locally heated wafer surface; determining the annealing temperature distribution from the detected thermal emission; determining from the annealing temperature distribution a line-image intensity profile that includes a time-varying amount of slope; and adjusting the beam-redirecting element to redirect the laser beam to reduce or eliminate the time-varying amount of slope in the line-image intensity profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: Ultratech, Inc.
    Inventors: James T. McWhirter, Andrew Hawryluk, Serguei Anikitichev, Masoud Safa
  • Patent number: 9243761
    Abstract: An optical assembly that installs red, green, blue laser diodes (LDs) within a single package is disclosed. The LDs are mounted on a base via respective sub-mounts. Light emitted from the LDs is collimated by collimating lenses and multiplexed by two wavelength filters so as to align optical axes of the light. The multiplexed light has an axis substantially leveled with the axes of the red, green, and blue light measured from the top of the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiromi Nakanishi, Takeshi Okada
  • Patent number: 9176054
    Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus for tomographic imaging of an object. The apparatus includes a light unit configured to generate illumination, which comprises coherent light and has random phase distribution in a plane perpendicular to an optical axis, for illuminating an object, a coupler which combines a reference beam and an object beam for an interference, a shifter configured to shift relative phase difference between the object light and the reference coherent light, a detector configured to detect an interference caused by the reference coherent light and object light for the each phase, and a processor configured to calculate an optical propagation based on the detected interference for the each phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, THE ARIZONA BOARD OF REGENTS
    Inventors: Isao Matsubara, Chung-Chieh Yu, William Dallas
  • Patent number: 9172205
    Abstract: Provided is an optical vortex laser oscillation device which is capable of an increased out and can generate an optical vortex even in a wide frequency range and if the optical vortex has a quantum number which is not an integer. A laser device according to one embodiment of the present application comprises: a laser light source for generating laser light; an optical vortex generation unit for generating an energized optical vortex on the basis of the laser light generated by the laser light source; and an optical resonance unit for resonating the energized optical vortex generated by the optical vortex generation unit and dividing the energized optical vortex into signal light and idler light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION CHIBA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Takashige Omatsu, Katsuhiko Miyamoto
  • Patent number: 9052162
    Abstract: An amusement-type shooting gallery operates using a laser incorporated into a gun, that can be used to strike distant targets within the gallery. A gun emitting a short pulse laser is aimed at a target, which includes sensors for registering a hit. The sensor on the target can be a photovoltaic sensor that sends an electrical signal when impinged by the pulse laser, and the signal can be received by a local processor. The processor can be connected to the gun by a larger network, so that the coupling between the actuation of the trigger and the striking of the target can be coupled. A network with a display is coupled to the target and gun, enabling display of the results of the shooting operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Inventor: Stephen P. Shoemaker, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9036251
    Abstract: An EUV light generation system includes a driver laser comprising a master oscillator such as a semiconductor laser, a spatial filter, gas slab amplification devices, relay optical systems, and high-speed axial-flow amplifiers. The slab amplification devices include beam adjusting optical units disposed, respectively, at input and output sides of the slab amplifiers SA to convert the beam profile and/or polarization direction and/or an elongated direction of the beam profile with the slab amplifiers is parallel to a free space axis AF of the slab waveguides, i.e. parallel to the discharge electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: GIGAPHOTON INC.
    Inventors: Krzysztof Nowak, Takashi Suganuma, Osamu Wakabayashi
  • Patent number: 9036670
    Abstract: A method for generation of electromagnetic radiation has the following method steps: generation of electromagnetic radiation at a useful frequency, division of the electromagnetic radiation into a useful beam and a secondary beam, frequency shift of the electromagnetic radiation of the secondary beam, control of the useful frequency as determined by a manipulated variable, wherein the manipulated variable is derived from the frequency-shifted radiation of the secondary beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: TOPTICA Photonics AG
    Inventor: Yuriy Mayzlin
  • Patent number: 9008134
    Abstract: A variable wavelength diode according to the inventive concept includes a resonator and a plurality of cylindrical lenses. The resonator includes slab waveguides of which resonance lengths are different from each other. The slab waveguides are disposed on a planar light wave circuit (PLC). Thus, the variable wavelength diode realizes a high variation speed and a continuous variation of a beam at the same time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventor: Kwang Ryong Oh
  • Patent number: 8965153
    Abstract: A core of an optical waveguide and a core of a waveguide type optical device are adjacently disposed, and a layer is continuously formed at one end of the core of the waveguide type optical device, wherein an effective refractive index of the layer decreases toward a long axis direction of the optical waveguide stripe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Hitachi Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Takahashi, Hideo Arimoto, Kazuhiko Hosomi, Toshihiko Fukamachi, Shigeki Makino, Yasunobu Matsuoka, Toshiki Sugawara
  • Patent number: 8960927
    Abstract: A coherent light source apparatus includes a coherent light source, a first optical system, a light deflection unit, a second optical system and a light mixing unit disposed in that order. The coherent light source forms a first light emission region, and light projected therefrom forms a second light emission region near the light deflection unit, which deflects light flux from the second light emission region. The second optical system forms a third light emission region which is conjugate to the second light emission region near an input end of the light mixing unit, which mixes angle and a position components of incident light. The light deflection unit is configured to continuously changing a direction in which the light flux is deflected, thereby reducing speckling in light emitted from the light mixing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Ushio Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masashi Okamoto, Takahiro Toma, Yuichi Miura, Mikio Shimizu
  • Patent number: 8950873
    Abstract: A coherent light source apparatus comprises a first optical system, which has a first light emission region formed by a coherent light source, and which projects light from the first light emission region to form a second light emission region, a light deflection unit which deflects light flux in connection with formation of the second light emission region; a second optical system, which forms a third light emission region in response to the light flux which has been deflected by the light deflection unit, a light mixing unit for mixing a component of an incident light angle and that of a position thereof, and a light deflection unit drive circuit for receiving a periodic optical deflection synchronization signal, thereby driving the light deflection unit, wherein the light deflection unit operates to continuously change a direction in which the light flux is deflected while synchronizing with the optical deflection synchronization signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Ushio Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masashi Okamoto, Takanori Samejima, Mikio Shimizu, Yuichi Miura
  • Patent number: 8953648
    Abstract: The invention is an apparatus and method for free space pumping of active double-clad fiber based lasers and amplifiers. The apparatus comprises a laser emitting a signal laser beam; an active double-clad fiber having a core defining an optical axis of the apparatus and a pump cladding defining a cone of numerical aperture; an optical arrangement directing the signal laser beam along the optical axis through the core of the active double-clad fiber; at least one pump source emitting a pump beam; at least one delivery means coupling the pump beam to the pump cladding of the active double-clad fiber; and an optical arrangement coupling the amplified signal laser beam exiting the active double-clad fiber out of the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Research & Development Authority
    Inventors: Amiel Ishaaya, Boris Shulga
  • Patent number: 8934158
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a light-emitting device having a peak wavelength that varies depending on a value of a drive current, and illuminates a document with illumination light from the light-emitting device. A light receiving unit receives a light reflected from the document when the illumination light is emitted from the light-emitting device, and converts the received reflected light into image data at a predetermined sensitivity depending on the wavelengths of the received light. A current drive circuit supplies the drive current to turn on the light-emitting device. A wavelength distribution control unit produces two or more durations each having a different value of the drive current by controlling the current drive circuit during each main scanning to the document to produce two or more durations each having a different peak wavelength in each main scanning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventor: Masayoshi Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8926100
    Abstract: An illumination device includes a light source including plural light emitting devices arranged in a pattern and that generate and guide light, the light emitting devices having tilted gain regions wherein guiding directions of the light are tilted with respect to a perpendicular of output surfaces of the light source, an optical axis conversion device that bends optical axes of the light output from the light source, and a light distribution control device that controls a light distribution angle of the light output from the optical axis conversion device, wherein the light emitting devices are super luminescent diodes, and the light output from the light distribution control device diverge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Itoh, Hiroyasu Kaseya, Fumika Sumiyama, Junichi Okamoto
  • Patent number: 8879590
    Abstract: A laser source assembly for providing an assembly output beam includes a first MIR laser source, a second MIR laser source, and a beam combiner. The first MIR laser source emits a first MIR beam that is in the MIR range and the second MIR laser source emits a second MIR beam that is in the MIR range. Further, the beam combiner spatially combines the first MIR beam and the second MIR beam to provide the assembly output beam. With this design, a plurality MIR laser sources can be packaged in a portable, common module, each of the MIR laser sources generates a narrow linewidth, accurately settable MIR beam, and the MIR beams are combined to create a multiple watt assembly output beam having the desired power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Daylight Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Pushkarsky, Timothy Day, David F. Arnone
  • Patent number: 8873594
    Abstract: A modular ultrafast pulse laser system is constructed of individually pre-tested components manufactured as modules. The individual modules include an oscillator, pre-amplifier and power amplifier stages, a non-linear amplifier, and a stretcher and compressor. The individual modules can typically be connected by means of simple fiber splices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: IMRA America, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhenlin Liu, Gyu Choen Cho, Xinhua Gu, Otho E. Ulrich, Jr., Donald J. Harter
  • Patent number: 8849078
    Abstract: A high power (HP) fiber circulator is configured with a case enclosing a plurality of optical components which are arranged so as to define multiple ports. The fiber circulator further includes a plurality of launching and receiving fiber components each of which has spliced delivery and pigtailed passive fibers selectively coupling a HP input signal into and receiving a HP output signal from respective input and output ports. The passive fibers of each fiber component have respective protective coatings spaced from one another and each covering the cladding of the fibers. A light stripper, extending between the protective coatings, is operative to substantially remove cladding-supported light from one of the passive fibers before it reaches the protective coating of the other passive fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: IPG Photonics Corporation
    Inventors: Dmitry Starodubov, Hongbo Yu, Alex Yusim
  • Patent number: 8831050
    Abstract: A tunable laser, including: a laser resonant cavity; a laser gain medium; an intra-cavity collimating lens; an acousto-optic tunable filter; a device exciting sound waves in an acousto-optic crystal; a radio frequency signal source providing radio frequency energy for the energy transducer and adjusting the oscillation wavelength of the laser resonant cavity by changing radio signal frequency; an optical phase modulator disposed between the intra-cavity collimating lens and the acousto-optic crystal; an optical etalon disposed between the optical phase modulator and the laser gain medium; a wavelength locker disposed at one of zero-order diffraction optical paths of intra-cavity light; a pigtailed collimator coupling laser output light to an optical fiber; a pumping source exciting the laser gain medium; a phase modulator driver for driving the optical phase modulator; and a signal control processing circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: GP Photonics, Inc.
    Inventor: Peiliang Gao
  • Patent number: 8803027
    Abstract: A thin beam laser crystallization apparatus for selectively melting a film deposited on a substrate is disclosed having a laser source producing a pulsed laser output beam, the source having an oscillator comprising a convex reflector and a piano output coupler; and an optical arrangement focusing the beam in a first axis and spatially expanding the beam in a second axis to produce a line beam for interaction with the film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Cymer, LLC
    Inventor: Thomas Hofmann
  • Patent number: 8792523
    Abstract: This description relates to an apparatus, a method of manufacturing, and a method of tuning optical and/or electrical parameters of semiconductor devices and materials, thin film materials, or other devices. In one example, a laser is tuned to produce an adjustable output wavelength by coupling the laser to a tuning material or base such as, for example, a piezoelectric base using a suitable attachment method. The laser includes of a tunable material that is sensitive to stress and/or strain. Stress and/or strain applied to the laser from the tuning material results in an electronically variable output wavelength. As an example, applying a voltage to a piezoelectric base that serves as a tuning material can cause the base to expand or contract, and the expansions and contractions from the base are coupled to the tunable material of the laser, thus varying the wavelength of the output light from the laser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: QuantTera, LLC
    Inventor: Matthew H. Kim
  • Publication number: 20140204965
    Abstract: A laser beam combining and power scaling device and method. A first highly reflective mirror residing perpendicular to the first optical axis reflecting radiation emitted from the first laser head. A first Q-switch in alignment with the first optical axis interposed between the first highly reflective mirror and the first laser head. A second highly reflective mirror residing perpendicular to the second optical axis reflecting radiation emitted from the second laser head. The second Q-switch in alignment with the second optical axis is interposed between the second highly reflective mirror and the first laser head. A third optical axis is coincident with the first optical axis. A third highly reflective mirror residing perpendicular to the third optical axis in alignment therewith. The third optical axis may include a third diode pumped laser head and Q-switch. A beam splitter resides at the intersection of the axes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2014
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicant: LEE LASER, INC.
    Inventors: DWIGHT KIMBERLIN, DONALD BISHOP
  • Patent number: 8783878
    Abstract: An optical system (100) comprises a coherent light source (101) and optical elements for directing light from the source to a target (1001). The optical elements include at least one diffusing element (141, 161) arranged to reduce a coherence volume of light from the source and a variable optical property element (151). A control system (1021) controls the variable optical property element such that different speckle patterns are formed over time at the target (1001) with a temporal frequency greater than a temporal resolution of an illumination sensor or an eye (1011) of an observer so that speckle contrast ratio in the observed illumination is reduced. The variable optical property element (151) may be a deformable mirror with a vibrating thin plate or film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Optyka Limited
    Inventors: Fergal Patrick Shevlin, Omar Sqalli, Nicolas Descharmes
  • Patent number: 8731013
    Abstract: A system and method for providing a wavefront corrected high-energy beam of electromagnetic energy. In the illustrative embodiment, the system includes a source of a first beam of electromagnetic energy; an amplifier for amplifying said beam to provide a second beam; a sensor for sensing aberration in said second beam and providing an error signal in response thereto; a processor for processing said error signal and providing a correction signal in response thereto; and a spatial light modulator responsive to said correction signal for adjusting said beam to facilitate a correction of said aberration thereof. In more specific embodiments, the source is a laser and the sensor is a laser wavefront sensor. A mirror is disposed between said modulator and said sensor for sampling said beam. The mirror has an optical thin-film dielectric coating on at least one optical surface thereof. The coating is effective to sample said beam and transmit a low power sample thereof to said means for sensing aberration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Robert W. Byren, William B. King, David M. Filgas
  • Patent number: 8723076
    Abstract: Systems and methods cut trenches of multiple widths in a material using a single pass of a laser beam. A first series of laser pulses cut a work surface of the material at a first cutting speed using a first spot size. In a transition region from a first trench width to a second trench width, a second series of laser pulses sequentially change spot sizes while gradually changing from the first cutting speed to a second cutting speed. Then, a third series of laser pulses continue to cut the work surface at the second cutting speed using a second spot size. The method provides for increased depth control in the transition region. A system uses a selectively adjustable optical component in the laser beam path to rapidly change spot size by adjusting a position of a focal plane with respect to the work surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Electro Scientific Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Mehmet E. Alpay, Brian Johansen, David Childers
  • Patent number: 8718103
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for generating an ultra-short ultra-high intensity pulse laser, comprising: a pulse laser providing unit which generates an ultra-short ultra-high intensity pulse laser, stretches pulse width, then selects and provides only a pulse laser having a predetermined polarizing angle; a polarization characteristic adjusting unit which divides the pulse laser provided by the pulse laser providing unit into S-polarizing component light and P-polarizing component light, varies the phase difference and amplitude difference between the S-polarizing component light and the P-polarizing component light, and combines the two types of light to generate a pulse laser with varied polarization characteristics; and a pulse compression unit which compresses the pulse width of the pulse laser, the polarization characteristics of which are varied by the polarization characteristic adjusting unit, and outputs the pulse laser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Nam-Soo Myung, Seung-Hwan Kim
  • Patent number: 8710997
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and device for the detection or correction of defects in machines, whereby a defect is optically and/or acoustically displayed at its point of origin and/or correction by means of at least one reporting device (5). According to the invention, the reporting device (5) is arranged independently from the location and is preferably centrally arranged. Furthermore, the reporting device (5) marks the point of origin and/or correction of the defect remotely and both in an optical and/or acoustical manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: KHS GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Buchkremer, Wilfried Ehmer
  • Publication number: 20140105232
    Abstract: An optical apparatus comprises a waveguide substrate and an optical reference cavity. The optical reference cavity comprises an optical waveguide formed on the waveguide substrate and arranged to form a closed loop greater than or about equal to 10 cm in length. The RMS resonance frequency fluctuation is less than or about equal to 100 Hz. The Q-factor can be greater than or about equal to 108. The optical waveguide can exhibit optical loss less than or about equal to 0.2 dB/m for propagation of an optical signal along the optical waveguide. The closed loop path can comprise two or more linked spirals greater than or about equal to 1 meter in length and can occupy an area on the waveguide substrate less than or about equal to 5 cm2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: April 17, 2014
    Inventor: California Institute of Technology
  • Patent number: 8685599
    Abstract: A method of pulsed laser intrinsic marking can provide a unique identifier to detect tampering or counterfeiting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventors: David P. Adams, Joel Patrick McDonald, Bradley Howell Jared, V. Carter Hodges, Deidre Hirschfeld, Dianna S. Blair
  • Patent number: 8686331
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a laser system in which a current laser wavefront performance of the laser system may be monitored. Further, the laser system embodiments disclosed herein may be configured for correcting the laser wavefront internally via correction system(s) within the laser system. Still further, the correction system(s) disclosed herein may provide a long lifetime of performance and may be configured for having a minimal impact on photocontamination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
    Inventor: J. Joseph Armstrong
  • Publication number: 20140079080
    Abstract: This image display apparatus includes a plurality of laser beam source portions outputting laser beams of a plurality of color components different from each other, a synthesized beam generation portion synthesizing the laser beams of the plurality of color components, a control portion controlling the outputs of the laser beam source portions, and a driving current correction portion estimating a variation in the threshold current of each of the laser beam source portions and correcting a driving current on the basis of the estimated variation in the threshold current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2013
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Applicant: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ken Nishioka
  • Patent number: 8675700
    Abstract: A laser system in this disclosure may include: a master oscillator configured to output pulsed laser light, a coherence reduction optical system configured to reduce coherence of the pulsed laser light from the master oscillator, and a controller configured to control the coherence reduction optical system so that a speckle of the pulsed laser light varies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Gigaphoton, Inc.
    Inventors: Shuntaro Watanabe, Takashi Onose, Osamu Wakabayashi
  • Patent number: 8670471
    Abstract: Photonic crystal cavities and related devices and methods are described. The described cavities can be used as lasers, photovoltaic sources, and single photon sources. The cavities can be both optically and electrically pumped. A fabrication process of the cavities is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Seheon Kim, Axel Scherer