Reflector Patents (Class 372/99)
  • Patent number: 8982922
    Abstract: An aspect of the disclosed subject matter includes a method of reducing the laser absorption of a beam reverser prism consisting of at least one of the following: increasing a first distance between a first incident point and a chamfered corner, wherein the first incident point is on a first reflective surface of the prism and the chamfered corner is formed between the first reflective surface and a second reflective surface of the prism, wherein the chamfered corner has a chamfered surface; increasing a second distance between a second incident point and the chamfered corner, wherein the second incident point is on the second reflective surface of the prism; and increasing a reflectivity of the chamfered surface of the chamfered corner of the prism. A method of determining a prime cut for an optical component is also disclosed. A laser including at least one prime cut optical component is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Cymer, LLC
    Inventors: Hong Ye, Alex Ershov, Rajasekhar Rao, Daniel Brown, Slava Rokitski, Rong (Lauren) Liu, Ray Cybulski, James J. Ferrell, Robert Bergstedt, John Viatella, Thomas Duffey
  • Patent number: 8976834
    Abstract: A method of generating intra-resonator laser light (1) comprises the steps of coupling input laser light (2), e. g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Wissenschaften e.V.
    Inventors: Jan Kaster, Ioachim Pupeza, Ernst Fill, Ferenc Krausz
  • Patent number: 8976820
    Abstract: To provide a passive Q-switch-type solid laser apparatus for outputting a high peak-power pulse laser whose pulse energy is large and pulse-time width is small. A passive Q-switch-type solid laser apparatus has: two reflection elements for forming an oscillator; a solid gain medium being disposed between the two reflection elements; a saturable absorber being disposed between the two reflection elements; an excitation device for exciting the solid gain medium; and a cross section control device for making at least one of a stimulated emission cross section of the solid gain medium and an absorption cross section of the saturable absorber closer to another one of them; and the cross section control device is equipped with at least one or both of a temperature control device for retaining the solid gain medium at a predetermined temperature and an oscillatory-wavelength control device for fixating an oscillatory wavelength at a predetermined wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Inter-University Research Institute Corporation National Institutes of Natural Sciences
    Inventors: Takunori Taira, Simon Joly, Rakesh Bhandari
  • Patent number: 8971375
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a surface-emitting laser diode with an active amplifying region (2) which is bounded by two laser mirrors (1, 3), while one or more polarization-selective layers (4) are provided for stabilizing the polarization in a region that is located on that side of at least one of the laser mirrors (1, 3) that is opposite the active amplifying region (2), these layers (4) extending parallel to the respective mirror (1; 3) and having a polarization-dependent refractive index and/or absorption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Vertilas, GmbH
    Inventors: Markus-Christian Amann, Markus Ortsiefer, Jürgen Rosskopf
  • Patent number: 8971360
    Abstract: An optical module includes a light source. The light source can be a swept wavelength light source, and optical module includes a wavemeter. The wavemeter includes a wavemeter tap capable of directing a wavemeter portion of light produced by the light source away from a main beam, a wavelength selective filter arranged to receive the wavemeter portion, a first wavemeter detector arranged to measure a transmitted radiation intensity of radiation transmitted through the filter, and a second wavemeter detector arranged to measure a non-transmitted radiation intensity of radiation not transmitted through but reflected by the filter. In addition, an optical coherence tomography apparatus includes the optical module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Exalos AG
    Inventors: Jan Lewandowski, Marcus Duelk, Christian Velez
  • Publication number: 20150049342
    Abstract: A surface light-emitting laser comprising an upper reflector, a lower reflector, and an active layer interposed therebetween, wherein when an optical distance between the upper reflector and the lower reflector is referred to as a first distance, and an optical distance between the lower reflector and the active layer is referred to as a second distance, positions of at least selected two of a group including the upper reflector, the lower reflector, and the active layer are changed so that the ratio between the first distance and the second distance is maintained within a range of ±25% from a certain value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2014
    Publication date: February 19, 2015
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Nagatomo
  • Patent number: 8958453
    Abstract: A laser oscillator includes: a optical resonator having an orthogonal mirror and a partial reflection mirror; a laser gas acting as a laser medium; and a 90-degree folding mirror acting as a polarization selecting element. The orthogonal mirror has two reflecting surfaces orthogonal to each other. The 90-degree folding mirror is arranged such that the polarization direction of the laser oscillated light is parallel to the reference axis set in a plane perpendicular to an optical axis of the optical resonator. The orthogonal mirror is arranged such that the polarization direction of the laser oscillated light is parallel to the valley line of the orthogonal mirror. This configuration can compensate anisotropy of optical characteristics in a laser medium, and stably generate linearly polarized laser light having excellent isotropy in a simple manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Shuichi Fujikawa, Junichi Nishimae, Tatsuya Yamamoto, Yoichi Tanino
  • Patent number: 8958454
    Abstract: The slant of a first mirror (21), the slant of a second mirror (22), and the laser output when the slant of the first mirror (21) is an initial value and when the slant of the first mirror (21) is made to move from the initial value by exactly a predetermined value in the positive and negative directions are used as the basis to calculate a first approximation curve of the laser output with respect to the slant of the first mirror (21) and second approximation curve of the laser output with respect to the slant of the second mirror (22), set a value which corresponds to a local maximum value of the first approximation curve as the slant of the first mirror (21), and set a value which corresponds to a local maximum value of the second approximation curve as the slant of the second mirror (21).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Fanuc Corporation
    Inventors: Takanori Sato, Takafumi Murakami
  • Publication number: 20150043002
    Abstract: The present invention concerns the use of hybrid metal-dielectric optical coatings as the end reflectors of laser cavities and/or in the mirror structures used in other optical resonators, such as Fabry-Perot tunable filters, along with the use of such Fabry-Perot tunable filters in wavelength swept sources such as lasers. Hybrid metal-dielectric optical coatings have reflectivity spectra that can be broader than pure dielectric coatings, offer optical reflectivities higher than metal, as high as pure dielectric coatings, eliminate mirror transmission that can cause parasitic light reflections, and use fewer layers and thus have lower mass and higher mechanical resonant frequency for movable mirror applications An important characteristic of these coatings concerns the non-reflected light. Pure dielectric coatings offer high reflectivity, while the non-reflected portion of the light is transmitted by the coating to the substrate, for example.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2013
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Inventors: Mark E. Kuznetsov, Ranko Galeb
  • Patent number: 8948220
    Abstract: A microcrystal laser assembly including a gain-crystal includes a frame having a high thermal conductivity. The frame has a base with two spaced apart portions extending from the base. The gain-crystal has a resonator output minor on one surface thereof. The gain-crystal is supported on the spaced-apart portions of the frame in the space therebetween. Another resonator minor is supported in that space, spaced apart from the output mirror, on a pedestal attached to the base of the frame. The pedestal and the frame have different CTE. Varying the frame temperature varies the spacing between the resonator minors depending on the CTE difference between the pedestal and the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Coherent GmbH
    Inventor: Stefan Spiekermann
  • Patent number: 8942267
    Abstract: A tunable laser has a solid state laser medium having an optical gain region and generates coherent radiation through a facet. A lens collects the coherent radiation and generates a collimated light beam. Components of an external cavity include a reflective surface and an optical filter, the reflective surface reflecting the collimated beam back to the lens and the laser medium, the optical filter positioned between the reflective surface and the lens and having two surfaces with a thermally tunable optical transmission band within the optical gain region of the laser medium. The optical filter (1) transmits a predominant portion of the collimated beam at a desired wavelength of operation, and (2) specularly reflects a remaining portion of the collimated beam from each surface, the collimated beam being incident on the optical filter such that the reflected collimated beams propagate at a non-zero angle with respect to the incident collimated beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Redshift Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Eugene Yi-Shan Ma, Charles M. Marshall
  • Patent number: 8937983
    Abstract: A device for transformation of concentrated solar energy including a photovoltaic cell and laser device, which includes a first reflecting mirror adapted for entry of a beam of solar rays and a second reflecting mirror adapted for an outlet of a laser beam, with the first reflecting mirror reflective on an outlet wavelength of the laser beam and transparent to a totality of a solar spectrum and the second reflecting mirror partially reflective on the wavelength of the laser beam, reflective in an interval of the solar spectrum which is absorbed and transparent in other wavelengths different to these, and at the outlet of the laser beam. The device includes a nucleus doped with substances for total or partial absorption of the solar spectrum and coatings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Abengoa Solar New Technologies, S.A.
    Inventors: Juan Pablo Nunez Bootello, Manuel Gallas Torreira
  • Patent number: 8929408
    Abstract: Apparatus, systems, and methods of generating multi combs can be used in a variety of applications. In various embodiments, an etalon can be disposed in the laser cavity of a mode-locked laser to adjust frequency combs. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: STC.UNM
    Inventors: Jean-Claude Diels, Ladan Arissian, Koji Masuda
  • Patent number: 8923359
    Abstract: The presently disclosed technique presents laser-based method and apparatus for use in remote sensing. In general, objects within a field of view are lased by a long cavity laser apparatus. Returns are detected, captured, and processed to identify actual objects of interest. These can then be communicated to a user. Over time, the actual objects of interest can be auto-tracked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Gary Paul Perryman, Mark K. Browder, James Richard Wood
  • Patent number: 8923358
    Abstract: A two-dimensional photonic crystal surface emitting laser light source includes a two-dimensional photonic crystal made of a plate-shaped body material provided with a periodic arrangement of identically-shaped holes and an active layer. The hole is not located on a first half-line extending from the gravity center of the hole, while the hole is located on a second half-line extending in the direction opposite to the first half-line. Injecting electric charges into the active layer generates light, which creates an electric field encircling the gravity center. For a given point on the second half-line where the hole is located, there is no hole at a point that is symmetrical to the aforementioned point with respect to the gravity center, so that the electric field vectors at the two points do not cancel each other and the laser light is stronger than conventional examples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignees: Kyoto University, Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Susumu Noda, Yoshitaka Kurosaka, Eiji Miyai, Dai Ohnishi, Wataru Kunishi
  • Patent number: 8913645
    Abstract: The invention relates to a laser cavity with central extraction by polarisation for coherent coupling of intense intra-cavity beams. The laser cavity (1) according to the invention comprises an extraction unit (7) with central extraction, which divides the laser cavity (1) longitudinally into two functional portions (P1, P2), namely a first portion (P1) including the active components (3), which amplifies the laser beams (4), and a second portion (P2) which performs coherent coupling of the laser beams (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignees: Compagnie Industrielle des Laser CILAS, Astrium SAS
    Inventors: David Sabourdy, Jean-Eucher Montagne, Alain Barthelemy, Agnes Desfarges-Berthelemot, Vincent Kermene, Sandrine Auroux, Julien Guillot, Brigitte Serreault, Bruno Esmiller
  • Patent number: 8913640
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser assembly has at least one semiconductor laser which is designed to emit laser radiation through an exit area and at least one further area, the further area being a part of a surface of the semiconductor laser and/or of the semiconductor laser assembly and the further area is developed to be reflecting to the radiation of at least one specifiable wavelength range. For this purpose, a reflecting metal layer is applied, for example. The semiconductor laser having a laser layer is able to be fastened to a carrier element with the aid of a solder layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Mathias Moenster, Hans-Jochen Schwarz
  • Publication number: 20140355640
    Abstract: A device for producing a coherent bi-color light source, including: an array substrate, a first laser tube driven by a first direct current signal, a second laser tube driven by a modulation signal coupled by a microwave signal and a second DC signal, a half wave plate, a birefringent crystal, a first quarter wave plate, a partially reflecting plane mirror, and a second quarter wave plate. The first laser tube and the second laser tube are fixed on the array substrate. The half wave plate, the birefringent crystal, the first quarter wave plate, the partially reflecting plane mirror, and the second quarter wave plate are disposed in sequence in an emission direction of a laser beam emitted by the first laser tube. The second laser tube is disposed opposite to the birefringent crystal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2014
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Inventors: Enxue YUN, Bozhong TAN, Sihong GU
  • Publication number: 20140355639
    Abstract: Techniques described herein are generally related to metamaterial structures for Q-switching in laser systems. The various described techniques may be applied to methods, systems, devices or combinations thereof. Sonic described metamaterial structures may include a substrate and a first conductive layer disposed on a first surface of the substrate. A dielectric layer may be disposed on a first surface of the first conductive layer and a second conductive layer having a substantially symmetric geometric shape may be disposed on a first surface of the dielectric layer. The second conductive layer may cover a portion of the first surface of the dielectric layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2013
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Inventors: Ramakrishna Subramaniam Anantha, Govind Dayal Singh
  • Patent number: 8902937
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a compact external cavity tunable laser apparatus. The laser apparatus includes a substrate, an external cavity tunable reflecting unit that reflects laser light entering from the outside on the substrate and selects and varies a wavelength of the reflected laser light, an optical fiber that outputs the laser light on the substrate; and an highly integrated light source that integrates the laser light input from the external cavity tunable reflecting unit using inclined input and output waveguides, a curved waveguide, and a straight waveguide to output the integrated laser light to the optical fiber in order to match an optical axis formed with the external cavity tunable reflecting unit with an optical axis formed with an optical fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Ki-Hong Yoon, O-Kyun Kwon, Kisoo Kim, Byungseok Choi, Hyun Soo Kim, Su Hwan Oh
  • Patent number: 8897327
    Abstract: A laser diode device including a housing having a mounting area in a cavity of the housing, at least one laser diode chip that emits electromagnetic radiation through a radiation exit area during operation, at least one covering element which is transmissive, at least in places, to the electromagnetic radiation generated by the laser diode chip during operation, and a deflection element, that directs at least part of the electromagnetic radiation generated by the laser diode chip during operation in a direction of the covering element, wherein the radiation exit area of the laser diode chip runs substantially transversely or substantially perpendicularly with respect to the mounting area and/or with respect to the covering element, the covering element connects to the housing, and the covering element tightly closes the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: OSRAM Opto Semiconductors GmbH
    Inventors: Karsten Auen, Uwe Strauss, Thomas Höfer
  • Patent number: 8891579
    Abstract: A laser diode apparatus including a mounting block, a plurality of diode lasers mounted to the mounting block and each capable of emitting a respective diode laser beam, and a plurality of cylindrical mirrors each having a reflective back surface for providing slow axis collimation of an incident diode laser beam via reflection off the back surface, each one of the plurality of cylindrical mirrors optically coupled to a respective diode laser of the plurality of diode lasers and optically oriented therewith so as to be capable of providing the diode laser beams in a stacked arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: nLIGHT Photonics Corporation
    Inventors: Kirk Price, Scott Lerner
  • Patent number: 8885247
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for controlling optical frequency (F1, F2) about a central working frequency (F0). This device comprises a vertical cavity (2) formed of two parallel and partially reflecting walls (3a, 3b), and a membrane (6) comprising at least one layer (7a, 7b) structured in the form of a photonic crystal. In this device, the two walls (3a, 3b) are separated by an optical distance substantially proportional to half the wavelength (?0) corresponding to the central working frequency (F0). The membrane (6) is integrated between the walls (3a, 3b) of the cavity (2) and devised in such a way as to exhibit a mode of optical resonance at this central working wavelength (?0). At least one layer of the device is made up of at least one portion of a material exhibiting nonlinear optical properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Centre National de la Recherche Scientific—CNRS
    Inventors: Xavier Letartre, Pierre Viktorovitch, Jean-Louis Leclercq, Christian Seassal
  • Patent number: 8861563
    Abstract: The use of reflecting surfaces that are inclined towards one another enables the multiple reflection of a beam path to be achieved in a laser structure. This permits the realization of compact laser assemblies. The introduction of beam-influencing media between the reflective surfaces or the configuration of said reflective surfaces from or using media of this type allows the use of the multiple reflection for influencing parameters of the radiation or radiation field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: High Q Laser GmbH
    Inventors: Daniel Kopf, Max Lederer, Udo Bunting
  • Patent number: 8855167
    Abstract: A gas discharge chamber that uses a calcium fluoride crystal which reduces a breakage due to mechanical stress (window holder and laser gas pressure), thermal stress from light absorption, and the like, increases the degree of linear polarization of output laser, and suppresses degradation due to strong ultraviolet (ArF, in particular) laser light irradiation. A first window (2) and a second window (3) of the gas discharge chamber have an incident plane and an emitting plane in parallel with a (111) crystal plane of their calcium fluoride crystal. With respect to an arrangement where laser light entering the calcium fluoride crystal passes through a plane including a <111> axis and a <001> axis of each of the first window (2) and the second window (3) as seen from inside the chamber (1), the first window (2) and the second window (3) are arranged in positions rotated in the same direction by the same angle about their <111> axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Shinji Nagai, Fumika Yoshida, Osamu Wakabayashi, Kouji Kakizaki
  • Patent number: 8853657
    Abstract: A regenerative ring resonator in the path of a light beam includes a discharge chamber having electrodes and a gain medium between the electrodes; an optical coupler that is partially reflective so that at least a portion of a light beam impinging on the optical coupler from the discharge chamber is reflected back through the discharge chamber and at least a portion of the light beam impinging on the optical coupler from the discharge chamber is transmitted through the optical coupler; and an attenuation optical system in the path of the light beam within the resonator, the attenuation optical system having a plurality of distinct attenuation states, with each attenuation state defining a distinct attenuation factor applied to the light beam to provide adjustment of an energy of the light beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Cymer, LLC
    Inventors: Robert J. Rafac, Rostislav Rokitski
  • Patent number: 8855153
    Abstract: A laser machining control system includes a laser diode, a laser power controller connected to the laser diode, a light transmission-reflection element positioned on a light path of a laser light beam to a workpiece, and an output power meter. The output power meter detects the laser light beam being reflected by the transmission-reflection element and measures an output power of the laser diode. The output power meter gives a signal to the laser power controller if there is a power loss of the laser light beam, and the laser power controller adjusts the voltage and the current input to the laser diode in compensation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Po-Chou Chen
  • Publication number: 20140294033
    Abstract: A laser includes a total reflective mirror, an output mirror, a discharge lamp, and an active laser medium. The total reflective mirror, the output mirror, and the discharge lamp define a resonant cavity. The active laser medium is filled in the resonant cavity. The total reflective mirror includes a body, a metal film, and at least one microstructure. Each of the at least one microstructure is a step structure. The step structure includes a plurality of cylinders stacked with each other with respect to their diameters. Both the height and the diameter of the cylinders are in a range from about 0.5? to about 2?, while ? is a working wavelength of the laser.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicants: HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD., TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: JING-LEI ZHU, JUN ZHU, QUN-QING LI, KAI-LI JIANG, CHEN FENG, GUO-FAN JIN, SHOU-SHAN FAN
  • Publication number: 20140294034
    Abstract: A laser includes a total reflective mirror, an output mirror, a discharge lamp, and an active laser medium. The total reflective mirror, the output mirror, and the discharge lamp define a resonant cavity. The active laser medium is filled in the resonant cavity. The total reflective mirror includes a microstructure. The microstructure is concave ring-shaped structure. The concave ring-shaped structure has a depth and a width, and both the depth and the width are in a range from about 0.5? to about 2?, while ? is a working wavelength of the laser.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicants: HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD., Tsinghua University
    Inventors: JING-LEI ZHU, JUN ZHU, QUN-QING LI, KAI-LI JIANG, CHEN FENG, GUO-FAN JIN, SHOU-SHAN FAN
  • Publication number: 20140269807
    Abstract: A long wavelength, short cavity laser can include: an active region or gain cavity having a length from about 10 microns to about 150 microns; a gap region adjacent to the active region and having a gap length that is less than 30 microns or less than the length of the active region; and a distributed Bragg reflector (“DBR”) region having a grating with a kappa of at least about 200 cm?1, wherein the gap region is between the active region and the DBR region, and wherein the laser lases at a long wavelength side of a Bragg peak of the laser. The laser can have a second DBR region opposite of the first DBR region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: FINISAR CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Matsui
  • Patent number: 8824516
    Abstract: In a GaN-based laser device having a GaN-based semiconductor stacked-layered structure including a light emitting layer, the semiconductor stacked-layered structure includes a ridge stripe structure causing a stripe-shaped waveguide, and has side surfaces opposite to each other to sandwich the stripe-shaped waveguide in its width direction therebetween. At least part of at least one of the side surfaces is processed to prevent the stripe-shaped waveguide from functioning as a Fabry-Perot resonator in the width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Kawakami, Tomoki Ono, Shigetoshi Ito, Susumu Omi
  • Patent number: 8811449
    Abstract: The invention relates to a light source, comprising an optical resonator (1) and an optical medium (2) arranged therein that can be excited so as to emit light, wherein the optical medium (2) comprises at least one two-level system, in particular a two-level system that is not population-inverted, having an at least metastable lower state, and the optical length of the resonator (1) comprising at least one curved mirror (1) is selected such that the free spectral bandwidth of the resonator is equal to or greater than the absorption bandwidth and/or fluorescence bandwidth of the optical medium (2) and only a single longitudinal mode and a plurality of transversal modes of the resonator (1) are arranged within the fluorescence bandwidth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Rheinische Friedrich-Willhelms Universitaet Bonn
    Inventors: Frank Vewinger, Martin Weitz, Jan Klaers
  • Patent number: 8804787
    Abstract: A laser system includes a semiconductor laser having a laser driver coupled thereto. An output of the semiconductor laser is optically coupled to an input of an optical splitter that provides outputs including or coupled to a first branch having a first branch fiber coupled to a feedback reflector which provides a cavity boundary that defines a passive secondary cavity for the semiconductor laser, and a second branch including a back reflection reduction device. The roundtrip attenuation from an output facet of the laser to the feedback reflector is from ?30 dB to ?80 dB. The laser driver provides sufficient drive stability so that a frequency variation of the semiconductor laser is less than one free spectral range (FSR) of the secondary cavity. An output of said system is taken after the back reflection reduction device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Gooch and Housego PLC
    Inventors: Steven Michael Coleman, Alexander Rosiewicz
  • Patent number: 8804777
    Abstract: Mid-IR supercontinuum laser source in the 3-12 micron region generating at least tens of watts of optical power and based on non-silica optical fiber pumped by a ZBLAN fiber laser generating light at about 2.7 microns. The zero-dispersion wavelength of the non-silica fiber substantially coincides with the lasing wavelength. The proportion of the SC output above 3 microns exceeds 40 percent of the overall power output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Arizona Board of Regents on Behalf of The University of Arizona
    Inventors: Xiushan Zhu, Nasser N. Peyghambarian, Robert A. Norwood
  • Patent number: 8792530
    Abstract: A method for providing a laser beam and a laser arrangement that includes an elongated tube; an elongated discharge region within the elongated tube including a discharge medium to be excited to induce laser radiation; two DC discharge electrodes disposed at opposite ends of the elongated discharge region; two RF electrodes disposed at opposite elongated sides of the elongated discharge region; and/or a laser resonator having two opposite mirrors disposed at opposite ends of the elongated tube, the laser resonator is unstable in at least one lateral axis. The method includes applying a DC discharge between the DC electrodes, and applying a RF discharge transverse to the DC discharge between the RF electrodes. The DC and RF discharges may be provided by the DC and/or RF voltage suppliers provided according to embodiments of the present invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Dentaray Ltd.
    Inventors: Doron Chomsky, Dror Medini
  • 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: 8787417
    Abstract: A hybrid laser for generating radiation includes an optical passive material and an optical active material. The laser includes a first optical waveguide and optical laser components with reflectors in the optical passive material. The first optical waveguide is adapted for coupling out radiation from the hybrid laser. The laser also includes a second optical waveguide defined in the optical active material. The optical laser components include reflectors defining a cavity and furthermore are adapted for providing laser cavity confinement in the first optical waveguide and the second optical waveguide. The second optical waveguide thereby is positioned at least partly over the first optical waveguide so that an evanescent coupling interface is defined between the second optical waveguide and the first optical waveguide and the evanescent coupling interface is positioned within the laser cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignees: Universiteit Gent, IMEC
    Inventors: Roeland Baets, Dries Van Thourhout, Gunther Roelkens, Geert Morthier, Yannick De Koninck
  • Patent number: 8780951
    Abstract: There is provided a distributed Bragg's reflector (DBR) comprising a substrate and an unit distributed Bragg's reflector (DBR) layer, wherein a multi-layer is laminated on the substrate. The unit DBR layer is composed of a multi-layer laminated structure of unit digital-alloy multinary compound semiconductor layer/multinary compound semiconductor layer or unit digital-alloy multinary compound semiconductor layer/unit digital-alloy multinary compound semiconductor layer. The unit digital-alloy multinary compound semiconductor layer is composed of the multi-layer laminated structure of the first layer of multinary compound semiconductor and the second layer of a different multinary compound semiconductor on said first layer. The digital-alloy distributed Bragg's reflector of the present invention has a uniform quality on the substance area and the filter and reflector having uniformly high quality can be mass produced by using the reflector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Korea Institute of Science and Technology
    Inventors: Jin Dong Song, Won Jun Choi, Jung Il Lee
  • Patent number: 8780947
    Abstract: The invention relates to a mirror arrangement for guiding a laser beam in a laser system having at least one first end mirror and one second end mirror, wherein said end mirrors define a resonator having an optical resonator axis, wherein the laser beam is guided into the resonator as an input laser beam and is guided out of the resonator again after multiple reflection at the first and second end mirrors as an output laser beam. The sequence of reflections at the first and second end mirror thereby determines a direction of rotation between the first and second end mirror, defined as an axis of rotation relative to the resonator axis, whereby a first beam path is defined and the laser beam circulates in a direction of rotation between the first and second end mirrors in the resonator defined as an axis of rotation relative to the resonator axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: High Q Laser GmbH
    Inventors: Joachim Meier, Ulrike Wegner, Maximilian Josef Lederer
  • Patent number: 8767787
    Abstract: A laser diode device operable at a one or more wavelength ranges. The device has a first waveguide provided on a non-polar or semipolar crystal plane of gallium containing material. In a specific embodiment, the first waveguide has a first gain characteristic and a first direction. In a specific embodiment, the first waveguide has a first end and a second end and a first length defined between the first end and the second end. The device has a second waveguide provided on a non-polar or semipolar crystal plane of gallium containing material. In a specific embodiment, the second waveguide has a second gain characteristic and a second direction. In a specific embodiment, the second waveguide has a first end, a second end, and a second length defined between the first end and the second end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Soraa Laser Diode, Inc.
    Inventors: James W. Raring, Daniel F. Feezell
  • Publication number: 20140177666
    Abstract: A laser includes a total reflective mirror, an output mirror, a discharge lamp, and an active laser medium. The total reflective mirror, the output mirror, and the discharge lamp define a resonant cavity. The active laser medium is filled in the resonant cavity. The total reflective mirror includes a microstructure. The microstructure is convex ring-shaped structure. The convex ring-shaped structure has a height and a width, and both the height and the width are in a range from about 0.5? to about 2?, while ? is a working wavelength of the laser.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicants: HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD., Tsinghua University
    Inventors: JUN ZHU, JING-LEI ZHU, QUN-QING LI, KAI-LI JIANG, CHEN FENG, GUO-FAN JIN, SHOU-SHAN FAN
  • Publication number: 20140177665
    Abstract: A laser includes a total reflective mirror, an output mirror, a discharge lamp, and an active laser medium. The total reflective mirror, the output mirror, and the discharge lamp define a resonant cavity. The active laser medium is filled in the resonant cavity. The total reflective mirror includes a body, a metal film, and at least one microstructure. The at least one microstructure is concaved from a first reflective surface of the total reflective mirror. The at least one microstructure has a depth and a lateral size, and both the depth and the lateral size are in a range from about 0.5? to about 2?, while ? is a working wavelength of the laser.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicants: HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD., TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: JUN ZHU, JING-LEI ZHU, QUN-QING LI, KAI-LI JIANG, CHEN FENG, GUO-FAN JIN, SHOU-SHAN FAN
  • Publication number: 20140177667
    Abstract: A laser includes a total reflective mirror, an output mirror, a discharge lamp, and an active laser medium. The total reflective mirror, the output mirror, and the discharge lamp define a resonant cavity. The active laser medium is filled in the resonant cavity. The total reflective mirror includes a body, a metal film, and at least one microstructure. The at least one microstructure has a height and a lateral size, and both the height and the lateral size are in a range from about 0.5? to about 2?, while ? is a working wavelength of the laser.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicants: HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD., Tsinghua University
    Inventors: JUN ZHU, JING-LEI ZHU, QUN-QING LI, KAI-LI JIANG, CHEN FENG, GUO-FAN JIN, SHOU-SHAN FAN
  • Patent number: 8760754
    Abstract: A wavelength-tunable laser system includes an optical fiber collimator array having at least two ports, an optical amplifier connected to one port of an optical fiber, an optical coupler for coupling light incident from the optical amplifier and transmitting the coupled light to another port, a diffraction grating plate for guiding each wavelength component of light incident from the optical fiber collimator array in a different direction, and an Opto-Very Large Scale Integration (Opto-VLSI) processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Ytel Photonics Inc.
    Inventors: Yong Tak Lee, Feng Xiao, Kamal Alameh
  • Patent number: 8755415
    Abstract: An optical fiber laser or amplifier comprising an optical fiber and a pump radiation source configured to generate pump radiation which is received through an input end of the optical fiber. The optical fiber may include a doped core which is configured to guide the pump radiation and to generate or amplify and guide signal radiation when pump radiation passes through it. The optical fiber laser or amplifier may include a first reflector configured to reflect pump radiation and further comprises a second reflector configured to selectively reflect a portion of pump radiation. The selection of the portion of pump radiation to be reflected by the second reflector depends upon one or more of: the spatial position of the pump radiation, the direction of the pump radiation, and the polarization of the pump radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Laser Quantum Inc.
    Inventor: Alan Cox
  • Patent number: 8755421
    Abstract: High-power, phased-locked, laser arrays as disclosed herein utilize a system of optical elements that may be external to the laser oscillator array. Such an external optical system may achieve mutually coherent operation of all the emitters in a laser array, and coherent combination of the output of all the lasers in the array into a single beam. Such an “external gain harness” system may include: an optical lens/mirror system that mixes the output of all the emitters in the array; a holographic optical element that combines the output of all the lasers in the array, and an output coupler that selects a single path for the combined output and also selects a common operating frequency for all the coupled gain regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: PD-LD, Inc.
    Inventor: Boris Leonidovich Volodin
  • Patent number: 8755416
    Abstract: A laser including a semiconductor laser stack group, a beam compositor, a pump beam collimator, a thin-disk laser crystal, a first and a second parabolic reflectors with the same facial contour function, a corrective reflector, an output mirror, and a jet-flow impact cooling system. The thin-disk laser crystal and the output mirror form a laser resonant cavity. The first parabolic reflector, second parabolic reflector, thin-disk laser crystal, and corrective reflector form a multi-pumping focus cavity. The jet-flow impact cooling system is used for cooling the thin-disk laser crystal. The pump light produced by the semiconductor laser stack group is composited by the beam compositor, collimated by the pump light collimator, and enters the multi-pumping focus cavity. Within the multi-pumping focus cavity, the pump light is focused, collimated, and deflected to converge on the thin-disk laser crystal. The laser resonant cavity produces and outputs a laser beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
    Inventors: Xiao Zhu, Guangzhi Zhu, Changhong Zhu, Lijun Qi, Jianli Shang, Xingyun Duan, Peng Chen
  • Patent number: 8750342
    Abstract: A method and device for emitting electromagnetic radiation using semipolar or nonpolar gallium containing substrates is described where the backside of the substrate includes multiple scribes that reduce stray light leaking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Soraa Laser Diode, Inc.
    Inventors: James W. Raring, Nick Pfister, Yu-Chia Chang, Matt Schmidt, Drew Felker
  • Patent number: 8737447
    Abstract: A nitride semiconductor surface-emitting laser includes a two-dimensional photonic crystal layer having a resonant mode in an in-plane direction. The surface-emitting laser includes an active layer, the two-dimensional photonic crystal layer, a semiconductor layer, and an electrode in this order. The two-dimensional photonic crystal layer contains p-type conductive InxGa1-xN (0?x?1) as a high-refractive-index medium. The semiconductor layer contains p-type conductive InyGa1-yN (0?y?1). The thickness tPhC of the two-dimensional photonic crystal layer satisfies the relation of tPhC?(?/neff), wherein ? denotes the lasing wavelength, and neff denotes the effective refractive index of the resonant mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shoichi Kawashima, Yasuhiro Nagatomo
  • Patent number: 8731011
    Abstract: The invention relates to a precision optical frequency tunable laser. The laser includes: a laser gain medium, an intracavity collimating lens, an active optical phase modulator, a tunable acousto-optic filter and an intracavity total reflection mirror all arranged sequentially in a laser cavity, and the tunable laser further includes an active polarization rotator, a polarization beam splitter, two etalons, a temperature control system attached to the etalons, two total reflection mirrors, a radio frequency signal source, a laser pumping source, an active optical phase modulator drive source, an active polarization rotator drive source and a laser drive control circuit. Through the temperature control system attached to the etalons, stable laser output and the precision optical frequency tuning less than 1 GHz within a wide spectrum range can be realized, thereby greatly reducing the bandwidth requirements in achieving narrowband filtering for the tunable acousto-optic filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: GP Photonics Inc.
    Inventor: Peiliang Gao