Reflector Patents (Class 372/99)
  • Patent number: 8124995
    Abstract: A semiconductor light-emitting device includes a semiconductor light-emitting element emitting light in a region ranging from ultraviolet to visible, and a visible-light luminescent element absorbing light emitted from the semiconductor light-emitting element and outputting visible light. The visible-light luminescent element includes a substrate, a light-reflecting layer formed on the substrate and containing light scattering particles, and a luminescent layer containing phosphor particles. The luminescent layer absorbs light emitted from the semiconductor light-emitting element and output visible light. The luminescent layer further absorbs light that is emitted from the semiconductor light-emitting element, arrives at and is reflected from the light scattering particles, and output the visible light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yasushi Hattori, Shinji Saito, Ryosuke Hiramatsu, Shinya Nunoue, Iwao Mitsuishi, Naotoshi Matsuda
  • Patent number: 8121171
    Abstract: Surface emitting laser arrays with intra-cavity harmonic generation are coupled to an optical system that extracts harmonic light in both directions from an intra-cavity nonlinear optical material in such a way that the focusing properties of the light beams are matched.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Alces Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: David M Bloom
  • Publication number: 20110310918
    Abstract: Provided is a laser module. The laser module comprises: a substrate; an gain unit oscillating a laser light on the substrate; an external resonance reflecting unit total-reflecting the laser light at an external of the substrate adjacent to one side of the gain unit; and an inner resonance reflecting unit reflecting the laser light to the external resonance reflecting unit at the substrate between the modulating unit and gain unit and outputting the laser light to the modulating unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2010
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Applicant: ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventor: Ki-Hong YOON
  • Publication number: 20110310922
    Abstract: One embodiment of a laser resonator comprises one or more laser resonator components, a container and an ozone generator. The laser resonator components include a non-linear crystal, a beam polarization combiner, an optical lens, a mirror and/or an optical grating. The container encloses the one or more laser resonator components. The ozone generator is configured to introduce ozone gas into the container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2009
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Applicant: AMS RESEARCH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ming Ko, Wen-Jui Ray Chia
  • Patent number: 8073025
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a laser light source having a structure for narrowing a wavelength bandwidth of output light. The laser light source comprises, at least, a laser resonator, a pumping light source, an optical path switch device, a diffraction grating, and a total reflection mirror. The laser resonator has a light amplifying fiber for output of emission light arranged on a resonance optical path thereof. The optical path switch device has a first port and a second port on the resonance optical path of the laser resonator. The diffraction grating spectrally separates the emission light outputted from the second port. The total reflection mirror reflects a specific wavelength component out of wavelength components spectrally separated by the diffraction grating, so as to feed the specific wavelength component back to the second port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuo Nakamae, Motoki Kakui, Shinobu Tamaoki, Yasuomi Kaneuchi
  • Patent number: 8073017
    Abstract: A system and method for converting a pulsed beam of irradiation from a laser operating at a first wavelength to a pulsed beam of irradiation at a second, Stokes, wavelength. The system includes two Raman cells filled with the same Raman-active gas. The second cell receives a backward-propagating Stokes pulse beam from the first Raman cell, with the backward-propagating Stokes pulsed beam entering the second Raman cell in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the incoming laser pulses at the first wavelength. The second Raman cell generates a high intensity output pulsed beam at the second, Stokes, wavelength. The system can produce a high intensity eye-safe pulsed beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: William P. Hooper, Glendon M. Frick, Benjamin P. Michael
  • Publication number: 20110280273
    Abstract: A device having a light cavity includes, at one end, a plasmonic reflector having a grating surface for coupling incoming light into traverse plasmon waves and for coupling the traverse plasmon wave into broaden light, the surface serving to redistribute light within the cavity, the reflector being well suited for use in laser diodes for redistributing filamental cavity laser light into spatially broaden cavity laser light for translating multimodal laser light into unimodal laser light for improved reliability and uniform laser beam creation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2011
    Publication date: November 17, 2011
    Inventors: Joshua A. Conway, Jon V. Osborn, Ryan A. Stevenson
  • Publication number: 20110274135
    Abstract: A substantially dispersion-free optical filter cavity includes a first multilayer mirror and a second multilayer mirror, wherein each mirror includes layers of a less-refractive material and layers of a more-refractive material, the more-refractive material having a higher index of refraction than the less-refractive material. The mirrors are separated by a spacing, and the thickness of a plurality of the layers in the second multilayer mirror differ from corresponding layers in the first multilayer mirror to provide the cavity with complementary group-delay dispersion across the cavity with a phase difference within, e.g., ±0.015 rad across a range of wavelengths spanning at least, e.g., 50 nm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2011
    Publication date: November 10, 2011
    Applicant: MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Franz X. Kaertner, Li-Jin Chen, Guoqing Chang
  • Patent number: 8050300
    Abstract: A laser beam source device includes: a light source which emits light having fundamental wavelength; a wavelength conversion element which converts the light having fundamental wavelength into light having conversion wavelength; a resonance element which transmits first light converted into the conversion wavelength light and reflects light not converted; an optical path conversion element which releases second light contained in the light reflected by the resonance element and converted into the conversion wavelength light in the same direction as the direction of the first light, and releases the light not converted toward the light source; and a supporting member. The resonance element is disposed in such a position that one end surface of the resonance element on the second light side is shifted to the supporting member from one end surface of the wavelength conversion element on the second light side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Akira Egawa
  • Patent number: 8018981
    Abstract: A multi-pass optical cell with an actuator for actuating a reflective surface is provided. In one preferred embodiment, an apparatus is provided comprising a first reflective surface, a second reflective surface, and a support structure supporting the first and second reflective surfaces. The support structure positions the first and second reflective surfaces to create an optical cell. The apparatus also comprises a source and a detector, which are positioned such that light emitted from the source is reflected in the optical cell at least one time between the first and second reflective surfaces before reaching the detector. The apparatus further comprises an actuator coupled with and operative to actuate the first reflective surface. In some embodiments, the actuator rotates the first reflective surface. Also, in some embodiments, the multi-pass optical cell is an open path multi-pass optical cell, while, in other embodiments, the multi-pass optical cell is a closed path multi-pass optical cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: LI-COR, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert D. Eckles, Tyler G. Anderson
  • Patent number: 8012780
    Abstract: There is provided a method of fabricating a semiconductor laser including a two-dimensional photonic crystal. The method comprises the steps of growing an InX1Ga1?X1N (0<X1<1) layer on a gallium nitride-based semiconductor region in a reactor; after taking out a substrate product including the InX1Ga1?X1N layer from the reactor, forming a plurality of openings for a two-dimensional diffraction grating of the two-dimensional photonic crystal in the InX1Ga1?X1N layer to form a patterned InX1Ga1?X1N layer; and growing an AlX2Ga1?X2N (0?X2?1) layer on a top surface of the patterned InX1Ga1?X1N layer to form voids associated with the openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Susumu Yoshimoto, Hideki Matsubara
  • Patent number: 8014432
    Abstract: A laser includes a regenerative ring resonator that includes a discharge chamber having electrodes and a gain medium between the electrodes for producing a laser beam; a partially-reflective optical coupler, and a beam modification optical system in the path of the laser beam. The beam modification optical system transversely expands a profile of the laser beam such that the near field laser beam profile uniformly fills each aperture within the laser and such that the regenerative ring resonator remains either conditionally stable or marginally unstable when operating the laser at powers that induce thermal lenses in optical elements inside the regenerative ring resonator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Cymer, Inc.
    Inventors: Hong Ye, Richard L. Sandstrom, Slava Rokitski, Daniel J. W. Brown, Robert J. Rafac
  • Patent number: 8014433
    Abstract: A large number of passes of pump light through an active mirror in a solid state disk laser is realized using a pair of coupled imaging systems, where the optical axes of imaging systems are not coincident. Two imaging systems are optically coupled, so that an image of the first imaging system is an object of the second imaging system, and vice versa. An active mirror is disposed at the object or image plane, or at the focal plane of any one of the coupled imaging systems, where the position of the reflected pump beam during the multi-reflection between the first and second imaging systems is substantially unchanged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Apollo Instruments
    Inventors: Zhijiang Wang, Ying Wang
  • Patent number: 8009716
    Abstract: A device having a light cavity includes, at one end, a plasmonic reflector having a grating surface for coupling incoming light into traverse plasmon waves and for coupling the traverse plasmon wave into broaden light, the surface serving to redistribute light within the cavity, the reflector being well suited for use in laser diodes for redistributing filamental cavity laser light into spatially broaden cavity laser light for translating multimodal laser light into unimodal laser light for improved reliability and uniform laser beam creation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: The Aerospace Corporation
    Inventors: Joshua A. Conway, Jon V. Osborn, Ryan A. Stevenson
  • Patent number: 8002413
    Abstract: There is provided a light source unit which includes a luminescent light source which receives excitation light so as to emit light of a predetermined wavelength band, excitation light sources which shine excitation light on to the luminescent light source, a reflection space having the luminescent light source in an interior thereof and an emission space which emits luminescent light source light emitted from the reflection space from an emission port whose area is made smaller than the area of the luminescent light source and a projector which employs the light source unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tetsuro Narikawa
  • Patent number: 8005123
    Abstract: A wavelength tunable laser includes a first facet including a high reflection coating film; a gain region disposed adjacent to the first facet, the gain region including two or more light emitting devices that are arranged parallel to one another; an optical wavelength multiplexer optically connected to the light emitting devices; and an optical reflector disposed adjacent to a second facet opposite the first facet, the optical reflector having a reflection spectrum with periodic reflection peaks. The optical wavelength multiplexer is disposed between the gain region and the optical reflector, and the optical reflector and the first facet including the high reflection coating film form a laser cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Chie Fukuda
  • Patent number: 8000372
    Abstract: A laser includes a traveling-wave ring-resonator in which one resonator mirror is a mirror of an interferometer arranged such that, when the interferometer is operated in an anti-resonant condition, the mirror has a greater effective reflectivity for clockwise circulation of light in the resonator than for anticlockwise circulation of light in the resonator. There is a difference between the clockwise and anticlockwise effective-reflectivity sufficient that lasing in the resonator is possible only in the clockwise direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Coherent, Inc.
    Inventors: R. Russel Austin, Andrea Caprara
  • Patent number: 8000374
    Abstract: A polarization pinned vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL). A VCSEL designed to be polarization pinned includes an upper mirror. An active region is connected on the upper mirror. A lower mirror is connected to the active region. A grating layer is deposited to the upper mirror. The grating layer includes a low index of refraction layer formed by deposition on the upper mirror. The grating layer further includes a high index of refraction layer formed by deposition on the low index of refraction layer. A grating is formed into the grating layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Finisar Corporation
    Inventors: Ralph H. Johnson, James K. Guenter
  • Patent number: 8000370
    Abstract: A laser-induced optical wiring apparatus includes a substrate, first and second light-reflecting members provided on the substrate separately from each other, an optical waveguide provided on the substrate for optically coupling the first and second light-reflecting members to form an optical resonator, a first optical gain member provided across the optical waveguide and forming a laser oscillator along with the first and second light-reflecting members, and a second optical gain member provided across the optical waveguide separately from the first optical gain member, and forming another laser oscillator along with the first and second light-reflecting members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Hideto Furuyama
  • Patent number: 7995626
    Abstract: Provided is an athermal external cavity laser (ECL), whose output optical power and output wavelength can be kept regular irrespective of temperature changes without using additional temperature controlling components. The ECL comprises: a semiconductor amplifier; an optical fiber comprising a core in which a Bragg grating is formed and a cladding surrounding the core; and a thermosetting polymer that fixes the optical fiber to a ferrule and has a negative thermooptical coefficient, wherein the thickness of the cladding surrounding the core in which the Bragg grating is formed is smaller than the portion of the cladding surrounding the portion of the core where the Bragg grating is not formed, and the thermosetting polymer the negative thermooptical coefficient surrounds the cladding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Jie Hyun Lee, Mahn Yong Park, Geon Jeong, Chul Young Kim, Seung Hyun Cho, Woo Ram Lee, Byoung Whi Kim
  • Patent number: 7991024
    Abstract: In an external cavity wavelength tunable laser device including an external cavity (20) which includes a semiconductor optical amplifier (2) and performs laser oscillation operation by feeding back external light, a wavelength tunable mirror (7) having at least a single-peak reflection spectrum characteristic within a laser wavelength tuning range is placed on one end of the external cavity (20), and a Fabry-Perot mode interval determined by the effective length of the external cavity (20) is not less than 1/10 times and not more than 10 times the reflection band full width half maximum of the wavelength tunable mirror (7).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Sato, Jan De Merli, Kenji Mizutani, Koji Kudo, Shinya Sudo, Mads. L Nielsen
  • Patent number: 7991036
    Abstract: A two-dimensional photonic crystal plane emission laser of the invention includes a two-dimensional photonic crystal which has a two-dimensional photonic crystal area and a light reflecting area, and which selects a wavelength of light to be generated in an active layer. The light reflecting area is formed in such a manner that when light leaking from the two-dimensional photonic crystal area and reflected on a reflecting surface of the light reflecting area is returned to the two-dimensional photonic crystal area, the reflection light is combined with a standing wave residing in a propagating direction of the reflection light without disturbing its resonant state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc.
    Inventor: Mitsuru Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 7988297
    Abstract: Non-rigidly coupled, overlapping, non-feedback optical systems for spatial filtering of Fourier transform optical patterns and image shape characterization comprises a first optical subsystem that includes a lens for focusing a polarized, coherent beam to a focal point, an image input device that spatially modulates phase positioned between the lens and the focal point, and a spatial filter at the Fourier transform pattern, and a second optical subsystem overlapping the first optical subsystem includes a projection lens and a detector. The second optical subsystem is optically coupled to the first optical subsystem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Look Dynamics, Inc.
    Inventor: Rikk Crill
  • Publication number: 20110176574
    Abstract: A solid-state laser apparatus 1 bounces laser light L2 between an end mirror 3 and an output mirror 4 via a slab-type solid-state laser medium 2 excited by excitation light L1 to thereby amplify and output the laser light L2. The solid-state laser medium 2 includes incident/exit end faces 2a, 2b on and from which the laser light L2 is made incident and exits, and reflecting end faces 2c, 2d which reflect the laser light L2 so that the incident laser light L2 propagates in a zigzag manner. The incident/exit end face 2a is made incident with the excitation light L1 so that the excitation light L1 propagates along substantially the same propagation path as that of the laser light L2 within the solid-state laser medium 2. Accordingly, a solid-state laser apparatus which can improve the coupling efficiency between the excitation light and the laser light is realized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2009
    Publication date: July 21, 2011
    Inventors: Tadashi Ikegawa, Toshiyuki Kawashima, Hirofumi Kan
  • Patent number: 7970041
    Abstract: A wavelength variable laser smaller in size than the conventional one can be achieved by arranging a gain chip, an etalon filter and a fifth reflective mirror on an AlN submount and longitudinally integrating the gain chip in which a 45° mirror and a lens are integrated and the etalon filter. A laser cavity has a structure in which light passes through an active layer from a first reflective mirror realized by an end surface of the gain chip, is reflected by the 45° mirror at an angle of 90° and then passes through the lens. The light having passed through the lens is converted into parallel light, passes through the etalon filter and reaches the fifth reflective mirror and is then reflected. The reflected light returns through the same optical path and reaches the first reflective mirror realized by the end surface of the gain chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideo Arimoto, Masahiro Aoki
  • Patent number: 7970024
    Abstract: A tunable diode laser system with external resonator in Littrow or Littman configuration has an optical lattice on which the light beam from a laser diode is diffracted, a support element to hold the lattice or to hold a mirror, which reflects the light diffracted by the lattice, and an actuator to change the position of the lattice or the mirror. The tunable diode laser system enables a reliable mode-hop-free tuning and furthermore is easy and economical to realize by having the support element include a carrier, on which the lattice or the mirror is arranged, and a base body, while the actuator acts on the carrier and rests against the base body. The carrier is connected to the base body via linkages, such that a linear deflection of the actuator is transformed into a rotation of the carrier in the plane of the light beam, while the center of rotation lies outside the base body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: TOPTICA Photonics AG
    Inventors: Thomas Heine, Rainer Heidemann
  • Patent number: 7965757
    Abstract: A laser mirror assembly is disclosed with improved pointing stability. An elongated mirror includes a concave reflecting portion. A pair of elongated planar portions extend parallel to the concave reflecting portion on either side thereof. The planar portions are stepped down from the reflecting portion. The mirror is formed from copper. A pair of stainless steel strips are connected to planar portions. The bimetallic effect between the copper mirror and the stainless steel strips operates to counteract the warping of the mirror due to differential heating effects which arise during operation. In an alternate embodiment, a pair of aluminum strips are mounted on the rear surface of the mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: Coherent, Inc.
    Inventors: Leon A. Newman, Vernon A. Seguin, Lanny Laughman, Adrian Papanide
  • Patent number: 7961765
    Abstract: Narrow surface corrugated gratings for integrated optical components and their method of manufacture. An embodiment includes a grating having a width narrower than a width of the waveguide on which the grating is formed. In accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention, masked photolithography is employed to form narrowed gratings having a desired grating strength. In an embodiment, an optical cavity of a laser is formed with a reflector grating having a width narrower than a width of the waveguide. In another embodiment an integrated optical communication system includes one or more narrow surface corrugated gratings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Richard Jones
  • Patent number: 7957446
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser includes a first optical confinement layer, a plurality of first quantum wires and buried semiconductor regions disposed on a first area, a plurality of second quantum wires and buried semiconductor regions disposed on a second area, an active layer disposed on a third area, and a second optical confinement layer. The plurality of first quantum wires and the buried semiconductor regions constitute a first distributed Bragg reflector, and the plurality of second quantum wires and the buried semiconductor regions constitute a second distributed Bragg reflector. The third area is disposed between the first area and the second area. The buried semiconductor regions have a refractive index different from the average refractive index of the first quantum wires and the average refractive index of the second quantum wires. These distributed Bragg reflectors form a DBR laser having a cavity length defined by the length of the active layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hideki Yagi
  • Patent number: 7953135
    Abstract: A vertical cavity surface emitting laser diode (VCSEL) is disclosed, which reduces the light scattering by the step formed at the interface between the dielectric DBR and the semiconductor that reflects the mesa shape of the tunnel junction. The dielectric DBR of the invention includes a plurality of first films with relatively smaller refractive index and a plurality of second films with relatively larger refractive index. These first and second films are alternately stacked to each other to cause the periodic structure of the refractive indices. The VCSEL of the invention, different from the conventional device, provides the dielectric film with relatively larger refractive index that directly comes in contact with the semiconductor to set the node of the optical standing wave at the interface between the dielectric DBR and the semiconductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yutaka Onishi
  • Patent number: 7949030
    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: February 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: PD-LD, Inc.
    Inventor: Boris Leonidovich Volodin
  • Patent number: 7949031
    Abstract: A semiconductor diode laser having a broad vertical waveguide and a broad lateral waveguide is disclosed emitting laser-light in a single vertical mode and a single lateral mode narrow beam. The vertical waveguide comprises a coupled cavity structure, wherein light, generated in the active medium placed in the first cavity leaks into the second cavity and returns back. Phase matching conditions govern the selection of a single vertical mode. A multi-stripe lateral waveguide comprises preferably a lateral photonic band crystal with a lateral optical defect created by selected pumping of multistripes. This approach allows the selection of a single lateral mode having a higher optical confinement factor and/or a lower absorption loss and/or a lower leakage loss compared to the rest lateral optical modes. This enables a single lateral mode lasing from a broad area field coupled laser array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: PBC Lasers GmbH
    Inventors: Vitaly Shchukin, Nikolai Ledentsov
  • Patent number: 7949019
    Abstract: An apparatus and source arrangement for filtering an electromagnetic radiation can be provided which may include at least one spectral separating arrangement configured to physically separate one or more components of the electromagnetic radiation based on a frequency of the electromagnetic radiation. The apparatus and source arrangement may also have at least one continuously rotating optical arrangement, e.g., polygonal scanning mirror and spinning reflector disk scanner, which is configured to receive at least one signal that is associated with the one or more components. Further, the apparatus and source arrangement can include at least one beam selecting arrangement configured to receive the signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: The General Hospital
    Inventors: Brett E. Bouma, Seok-Yun Yun, Wang-Yuhl Oh, Benjamin J. Vakoc, Guillermo J. Tearney
  • Patent number: 7944958
    Abstract: A light emitting device including a waveguide having an electrically pumped gain region, a saturable absorber, a nonlinear crystal, an inclined mirror, and a light-concentrating structure. Light pulses emitted from the gain region are reflected by the inclined mirror and focused by the light-concentrating structure into the nonlinear crystal in order to generate frequency-converted light pulses. The gain region, the saturable absorber, the light-concentrating structure and the inclined mirror are implemented on or in a common substrate. The resulting structure is stable and compact, and allows on-wafer testing of produced emitters. The folded structure allows easy alignment of the nonlinear crystal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: EpiCrystals Oy
    Inventors: Janne Konttinen, Pietari Tuomisto, Tomi Jouhti
  • Patent number: 7940829
    Abstract: The basic gain medium enclosure for laser devices comprises two parallel lateral mirrors which geometrically define the extent of the gain medium enclosure and which allow the formation of lateral stationary sinusoidal waves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Inventor: Lulian Petrescu-Prahova
  • Patent number: 7936803
    Abstract: An external cavity semiconductor laser including a first and second input-output section disposed on a common end surface via a center axis, and a semiconductor laser device emitting a first and second laser light from the first and second input-output sections in two directions. The laser device includes a first reflecting unit for reflecting the first laser light emitted from the first input-output section and returning the reflected first laser light to the first input-output section, a second reflecting unit for reflecting the second laser light emitted from the second input-output section and returning the reflected second laser light to the second input-output section, a third reflecting unit provided to a second end surface disposed opposite a first end surface having first and second input-output sections for reflecting laser light returned to one of the input-output sections so as to be emitted from the other one of the input-output sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Sumitomo Osaka Cement Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Miki Yatsuki, Tokutaka Hara, Masahito Mure
  • Patent number: 7936804
    Abstract: Two convex lenses (61, 62), each of which has a focal length “f”, and a 90 degree polarization rotator (5) are interposed between solid-state laser elements (21, 22) of a symmetrical resonator having the two solid-state laser elements (21, 22); a space between the two lenses (61, 62) is made shorter than 2f; and distances between the respective lenses (61, 62) and centers of their adjacent solid-state laser elements (21, 22) are set substantially to “f”, to thus achieve a solid-state laser capable of stably performing high power transverse single mode oscillation desirably having power of 100 W or more. There is acquired a wavelength conversion laser that is further provided with a Q switch (3) and a polarization element (4) and that causes an output fundamental wave laser beam to enter nonlinear elements (91, 92) so as to undergo wavelength conversion, thereby producing a high power harmonic laser beam having a high frequency of; desirably, about 100 kHz.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kuniaki Iwashiro, Hiroyuki Suzuki, Tetsuo Kojima, Tomotaka Katsura
  • Publication number: 20110096802
    Abstract: A high power source of electro-magnetic radiation having a multi-purpose housing is disclosed. The multi-purpose housing includes an interior filled with a material forming at least a light source and further comprising a reflector which can envelope a laser rod surrounded by light sources for providing light excitation to the laser rod. A material defining outer surfaces of the light sources extends out to and defines outer surfaces of the reflector. A high-reflectivity coating is disposed over an outer surface of the reflector, as is a protective coating. Also disposed over an outer surface of the reflector can be an optional heat sink, with cooling being performed by an optional arrangement of forced-air traveling over the heat sink. The light sources may be light source pumps, and the high-reflectivity coating may be formed to envelop the reflector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2010
    Publication date: April 28, 2011
    Inventors: Dmitri Boutoussov, Vladimir S. Netchitailo
  • Patent number: 7933305
    Abstract: A device for generating or detecting electromagnetic radiation includes a substrate, a gain medium provided on the substrate, a plurality of reflectors for confining electromagnetic radiation at a predetermined frequency range and substantially perpendicular to a face of the substrate, and spacer means for spacing the reflectors from each other at a predetermined distance, with the gain medium being sandwiched between the reflectors. The gain medium has a quantum well structure formed of a semiconductor material, and gives a gain to electromagnetic radiation by transitioning between subbands created in at least a quantum well in the quantum well structure. The spacer means is formed of a material different from a material of the gain medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshihiko Ouchi, Ryota Sekiguchi
  • Patent number: 7929585
    Abstract: Systems and methods for high brightness, improved phase characteristics laser diodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Inventor: Michael M. Tilleman
  • Publication number: 20110069733
    Abstract: A laser includes a regenerative ring resonator that includes a discharge chamber having electrodes and a gain medium between the electrodes for producing a laser beam; a partially-reflective optical coupler, and a beam modification optical system in the path of the laser beam. The beam modification optical system transversely expands a profile of the laser beam such that the near field laser beam profile uniformly fills each aperture within the laser and such that the regenerative ring resonator remains either conditionally stable or marginally unstable when operating the laser at powers that induce thermal lenses in optical elements inside the regenerative ring resonator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2010
    Publication date: March 24, 2011
    Applicant: CYMER INC.
    Inventors: Hong Ye, Richard L. Sandstrom, Slava Rokitski, Daniel J.W. Brown, Robert J. Rafac
  • Patent number: 7912106
    Abstract: A surface-emitting photonic device including a structure disposed therein to enhance a performance thereof. The structure includes a two dimensionally periodic second order distributed feedback device (DFB) to emit diffraction limited outcoupled laser light having a predetermined wavelength along a propagation direction that is substantially normal to a plane of the DFB, and a first order distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) coplanar with, adjacent to and surrounding the DFB, a geometry of the DBR being selected such that a bandgap of the DBR is maximized and centered around the predetermined wavelength of the emitted light, a substrate, and either an optical gain layer, or a semi-conductor quantum well laser disposed within the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kristian Gotthold Baumann, Rainer Friedbert Mahrt, Nikolaj Moll, Thilo Hermann Curt Stöferle
  • Publication number: 20110064113
    Abstract: A laser light source 1 is provided with a first reflection mirror 11, a laser medium 12, an aperture 13, an output mirror 14, a half mirror 15, a light beam diameter adjuster 16, and a second reflection mirror 17, and outputs laser oscillation light 31 reflected by the half mirror 15 to the outside. The main resonator is composed by the first reflection mirror 11 and the output mirror 14 disposed so as to be opposed to each other with the laser medium 12 placed therebetween. The external resonator is composed by the output mirror 14 and the second reflection mirror 17 disposed so as to be opposed to each other. The second reflection mirror 17 is configured such that it gives amplitude or phase variations to respective positions in the section of a light beam when the light is reflected, the second reflection mirror presents an amplitude or phase variation distribution, and determines the transverse mode of the laser oscillation light 31 based on the amplitude or phase variation distribution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2009
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Applicant: Hamamatsu Photonics K.K.
    Inventors: Taro Ando, Haruyas Ito, Yoshiyuki Ohtake, Takashi Inoue, Naoya Matsumoto, Norihiro Fukuchi
  • Patent number: 7903716
    Abstract: A surface emitting semiconductor laser includes a semiconductor chip (1), which emits radiation (12) and contains a first resonator mirror (3). A second resonator mirror (6) is arranged outside the semiconductor chip (1). The first resonator mirror (3) and the second resonator mirror (6) form a laser resonator for the radiation (12) emitted by the semiconductor chip (1). The laser resonator contains an interference filter (9, 17), which is formed from an interference layer system comprising a plurality of dielectric layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: OSRAM Opto Semiconductors GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Schwarz, Ulrich Steegmüller, Michael Kühnelt
  • Patent number: 7903697
    Abstract: A tunable pulsed laser includes a seed source and an optical circulator. The optical circulator includes at least a first port coupled to the seed source, a second port, and a third port. The laser also includes an amplitude modulator characterized by a first optical side and a second optical side. The first optical side is coupled to the second port of the optical circulator. The laser further includes a first optical amplifier characterized by an input end and a reflective end. The input end is optically coupled to the second side of the amplitude modulator. The laser additionally includes a tap coupler optically coupled to the amplitude modulator and characterized by a pre-determined split ratio. Moreover, the laser includes a first photo-detector optically coupled to the tap coupler and adapted to receive a portion of the seed signal transmitted through the amplitude modulator and to generate an output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: PyroPhotonics Lasers Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Murison, Tullio Panarello, Benoit Reid, Reynald Boula-Picard, Stephane Caplette
  • Patent number: 7903696
    Abstract: A high-power narrow-linewidth fiber laser system includes a seed oscillator with multiple resonant cavities and an amplifier stage. The seed oscillator includes a gain fiber, a pump source to introduce pump light into the gain fiber, a single-mode output fiber arranged at the end of the active gain fiber, a first resonant cavity including the active gain fiber, and a second resonant cavity including the active gain fiber. The first and second resonant cavities cooperate to minimize the synchronization of longitudinal modes and thereby reduce modal beating. The amplifier preferably includes an active multimode gain fiber capable of supporting a single fundamental mode at the signal wavelength, wherein the single mode output fiber of the seed oscillator and the multimode gain fiber of the amplifier are mode-matched and coupled without a mode converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: IPG Photonics Corporation
    Inventor: Leonid Klebanov
  • Patent number: 7899095
    Abstract: A method and apparatus may comprise a seed laser, along with an amplifier laser amplifying the output of the seed laser. A bandwidth metrology module may provide a bandwidth measurement and a bandwidth error signal may be provided using a bandwidth set point. A differential timing system responsive to the error signal can selectively adjust a differential firing time between the seed laser and amplifier laser. A beam dimension and center wavelength control system may adjust a beam dimension, within the cavity of the seed laser, to select bandwidth, and may adjust center wavelength at the same time, using a plurality of beam expansion prisms and at least one other prism or other optical element in the cavity to select center wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Cymer, Inc.
    Inventor: William N. Partlo
  • Patent number: 7889776
    Abstract: A light source includes a semiconductor laser diode and a narrow spectral and spatial bandwidth reflector in optical communication with respect to the semiconductor diode laser and aligned with the output beam of the diode laser, such that a portion of the light in the output beam is reflected back into the laser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Trumpf Photonics Inc.
    Inventors: Greg Charache, John Charles Connolly, Holger Schlüter, Claus Schnitzler
  • Patent number: 7885312
    Abstract: A surface emitting laser is provided with an upper reflecting mirror having a photonic crystal structure with a point defect at the center, and emits a laser beam from the side of a lower reflecting mirror. An upper electrode is formed on the point defect at the center, and element resistance is reduced. A material transparent to a wavelength of the laser beam is used for a substrate. The emission efficiency is improved by reducing the element resistance of the photonic crystal surface emitting laser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomofumi Kise, Noriyuki Yokouchi
  • Patent number: 7884383
    Abstract: A radiation-emitting semiconductor chip (1) comprising a thin-film semiconductor body (2) which has a semiconductor layer sequence with an active region (4) suitable for generating radiation, and a reflector layer (5) arranged on the thin-film semiconductor body. The semiconductor chip has a Bragg reflector in addition to the reflector layer, and the Bragg reflector (6) and the reflector layer are arranged on the same side of the active region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH
    Inventor: Ralph Wirth