Electrical Patents (Class 372/81)
  • Patent number: 8995481
    Abstract: An optical system includes an electrically pumped laser light source and an optically pumped laser light source. An optical switch is located in a light path of the electrically pumped laser light source such that when the optical switch is in a first position light from the electrically pumped laser light source is directed toward the optically pumped laser light source and when the optical switch is in a second position light from the electrically pumped laser light source is directed away from the optically pumped laser light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Photodigm, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Achtenhagen, John Edward Spencer
  • Patent number: 8958447
    Abstract: Disclosed is a surgical laser system. The system includes a laser generator to generate laser radiation to cause water absorption levels that approximate water absorption levels achieved with a C02 laser, and one or more fibers coupled to the laser generator to deliver the generated laser radiation. In some embodiments, the laser generator is configured to generate radiation at multiple possible wavelengths in a range of between about 2.4 ?m to about 2.75 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Lumenis Ltd.
    Inventors: Asa Fein, Alon Goldring
  • Publication number: 20150045778
    Abstract: An object information acquiring apparatus is used which includes a laser medium that oscillates laser light, an excitation source that excites the laser medium, a voltage accumulator that applies a voltage to the excitation source, a voltage supplier that supplies a voltage to the voltage accumulator, a voltage controller that limits a maximum supplied voltage from the voltage supplier, a receiver that receives a photoacoustic wave generated by an object irradiated with the laser light, and a constructor that acquires characteristic information relating to the object in use of the photoacoustic wave, wherein the voltage controller compares a measured voltage value obtained by implementing division of a supplied voltage from the voltage supplier with a reference voltage value defining the maximum supplied voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2014
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Inventor: Shigeru Ichihara
  • Patent number: 8923357
    Abstract: A laser diode includes a substrate and a junction layer disposed on the substrate. The junction layer forms a quantum well of the laser diode. The laser diode includes a junction surface having at least one channel that extends through the junction layer to the substrate. The at least one channel defines an anode region and a cathode region. A cathode electrical junction is disposed on the junction surface at the cathode region, and an anode electrical junction is disposed on the junction surface and coupled to the junction layer at the anode region. A cathode metal layer is disposed in at least a trench region of the channel. The cathode metal layer couples the substrate to the cathode electrical junction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventor: Scott Eugene Olson
  • Patent number: 8897334
    Abstract: A light emitting device includes first and second electrodes, a semiconductor laser element, a bonding wire, a transparent frame section, and a lid section. The first electrode includes a convex section, a bottom surface surrounding the convex section, and a first surface. The second electrode includes a first surface opposed to the bottom surface of the first electrode and a second surface. The second electrode includes an opening section and a step section receding toward the first surface from the second surface. The semiconductor laser element is provided on the convex section and includes a light-emitting layer. The bonding wire is capable of electrically connecting the semiconductor laser element and the step section. The transparent frame section surrounds the convex section and is bonded to the bottom surface and the first surface of the second electrode. The lid section is bonded to the second surface of the second electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Toshiba Lighting & Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Yuji Takeda, Junichi Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 8767792
    Abstract: Embodiments of a method comprising guiding an optical mode with an optical waveguide disposed in silicon, overlapping both the optical waveguide and an active semiconductor material evanescently coupled to the optical waveguide with the optical mode guided through the optical waveguide, electrically pumping the active semiconductor material to inject current directed through the active semiconductor material and through the optical mode, and generating light in the active semiconductor material in response to the injected current. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: John E. Bowers, Oded Cohen, Alexander W. Fang, Richard Jones, Mario J. Paniccia, Hyundai Park
  • Patent number: 8693513
    Abstract: An optical system includes an electrically pumped laser light source and an optically pumped laser light source. An optical switch is located in a light path of the electrically pumped laser light source such that when the optical switch is in a first position light from the electrically pumped laser light source is directed toward the optically pumped laser light source and when the optical switch is in a second position light from the electrically pumped laser light source is directed away from the optically pumped laser light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Photodigm, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Achtenhagen, John Edward Spencer
  • Patent number: 8611389
    Abstract: A light emitting device includes a light emitting element mounting component, including a cubic package component formed of a silicon member covered with a insulating layer, and the package component including a bottom portion, a sidewall portion provided to stand upright on both ends of the bottom portion respectively, and a backwall portion provided to stand upright on an innermost part of the bottom portion, and the package component in which a cavity is provided in an inner side, and a light emitting element mounted on an inner side surface of the backwall portion of the package component, and including a light emitting surface on an upper end part, wherein a plurality of said light emitting element mounting components are stacked in a depth direction of the cavity to direct toward an identical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Shinko Electric Industries Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akinori Shiraishi, Mitsutoshi Higashi
  • Patent number: 8559473
    Abstract: Disclosed is a surgical laser system. The system includes a laser generator to generate laser radiation to cause water absorption levels that approximate water absorption levels achieved with a CO2 laser, and one or more fibers coupled to the laser generator to deliver the generated laser radiation. In some embodiments, the laser generator is configured to generate radiation at multiple possible wavelengths in a range of between about 2.4 ?m to about 2.75 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Lumenis Ltd.
    Inventors: Asa Fein, Alon Goldring
  • Publication number: 20130121353
    Abstract: Laser devices are presented in which a graphene saturable absorber and an optical amplifier are disposed in a resonant optical cavity with an optical or electrical pump providing energy to the optical amplifier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2012
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Inventors: Francis J. Kub, Marc Currie
  • Patent number: 8411721
    Abstract: Two excimer lasers have individual pulsing circuits each including a storage capacitor which is charged and then discharged through a pulse transformer to generate an electrical pulse, which is delivered to the laser to generate a light pulse. The time between generation of the electrical pulse and creation of the light pulse is dependent on the charged voltage of the capacitor. The capacitors are charged while disconnected from each other. The generation of the electrical pulses is synchronized by connecting the capacitors together for a brief period after the capacitors are charged to equalize the charging voltages. The capacitors are disconnected from each other before they are discharged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Coherent GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Targsdorf, Rainer Desor
  • Patent number: 8355420
    Abstract: Provides is a semiconductor light-emitting device. The semiconductor light-emitting device includes a first conduction-type cladding layer, an active layer, and a second conduction-type cladding layer, on a substrate. Portions of the substrate and the first conduction-type cladding layer are removed. According to the light-emitting device having the above-construction, damage to a grown epitaxial layer is reduced, and a size of an active layer increases, so that a light-emission efficiency increases. Even when a size of a light-emitting device is small, a short-circuit occurring between electrodes can be prevented. Further, brightness and reliability of the light-emitting device are improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: LG Innotek Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kyong Jun Kim
  • Patent number: 8331416
    Abstract: In a stripline laser, a gas mixture containing carbon dioxide is situated as a laser-active medium between two plate-type electrodes lying with their flat sides opposite one another. The electrodes define a discharge space, at whose end sides lying opposite one another a resonator mirror is respectively arranged. The resonator mirrors form an unstable resonator. To operate the stripline laser in the 9.3 ?m band and/or in the 9.6 ?m band, the electrodes are provided with a passivation layer on their flat sides. The passivation layer, of at least one electrode, contains silicon dioxide in a region covering a partial area of a flat side. A distance between the electrodes is set such that the attenuation of laser beams in the 10.3 ?m band and in the 10.6 ?m band is greater than the attenuation of laser beams in the 9.3 ?m band and/or in the 9.6 ?m band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Rofin Sinar Laser GmbH
    Inventors: Hermann Hage, Volker Scholz, Florian Engel
  • Patent number: 8306082
    Abstract: A group-III nitride semiconductor laser device comprises a laser structure including a support base and a semiconductor region, and an electrode provided on the semiconductor region of the laser structure. The support base comprises a hexagonal group-III nitride semiconductor and has a semipolar primary surface, and the semiconductor region is provided on the semipolar primary surface of the support base. The semiconductor region includes a first cladding layer of a first conductivity type gallium nitride-based semiconductor, a second cladding layer of a second conductivity type gallium nitride-based semiconductor, and an active layer. The first cladding layer, the second cladding layer, and the active layer are arranged along a normal axis to the semipolar primary surface. The active layer comprises a gallium nitride-based semiconductor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yusuke Yoshizumi, Yohei Enya, Takashi Kyono, Masahiro Adachi, Katsushi Akita, Masaki Ueno, Takamichi Sumitomo, Shinji Tokuyama, Koji Katayama, Takao Nakamura, Takatoshi Ikegami
  • Patent number: 8259764
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for operating a laser output light beam pulse line narrowing mechanism that may comprise a nominal center wavelength and bandwidth selection optic; a static wavefront compensation mechanism shaping the curvature of the selection optic; an active wavefront compensation mechanism shaping the curvature of the selection optic and operating independently of the static wavefront compensation mechanism. The method and apparatus may comprise the nominal center wavelength and bandwidth selection optic comprises a grating; the static wavefront compensation mechanism applies a pre-selected bending moment to the grating; the active wavefront compensation mechanism applies a separate selected bending moment to the grating responsive to the control of a bending moment controller based on bandwidth feedback from a bandwidth monitor monitoring the bandwidth of the laser output light beam pulses. The active wavefront compensation mechanism may comprise a pneumatic drive mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Cymer, Inc.
    Inventors: Igor V. Fomenkov, William N. Partlo, Daniel J. Reiley, James K. Howey, Stanley C. Aguilar
  • Patent number: 8238400
    Abstract: Two excimer lasers have individual pulsing circuits each including a storage capacitor which is charged and then discharged through a pulse transformer to generate an electrical pulse, which is delivered to the laser to generate a light pulse. The time between generation of the electrical pulse and creation of the light pulse is dependent on the charged voltage of the capacitor. The capacitors are charged while disconnected from each other. The generation of the electrical pulses is synchronized by connecting the capacitors together for a brief period after the capacitors are charged to equalize the charging voltages. The capacitors are disconnected from each other before they are discharged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Coherent GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Targsdorf, Rainer Desor
  • Patent number: 8192790
    Abstract: Arcing is minimized in a discharge chamber of a gas laser system by utilizing an electrode which comprises a surface portion capable of functioning as one of an anode and a cathode in order to energize a gas mixture in a discharge chamber of the gas discharge laser system, a shoulder portion being positioned on either side of the surface portion and being exposed to the gas mixture, and a coating layer made of electrically insulating material, wherein the coating layer is attached to the shoulder portion by a cold spraying method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Coherent GmbH
    Inventors: Igor Bragin, Rustem Osmanow, Jürgen Bäumler, Michael Semling
  • Patent number: 8173139
    Abstract: Populations of Salmonella in animals may be substantially reduced by treatment with a vaccine composition which has been produced by exposing whole, intact cells of a Salmonella species to irradiation with an electron beam under conditions effective to kill the cells. The electron beam irradiated cells of Salmonella are effective for stimulating protective immune responses in the animals against the Salmonella. Induction of these immune responses significantly reduces or eliminates the colonization of the animal by the Salmonella, and consequently reduces or eliminates the shedding of Salmonella in the feces of the animals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture
    Inventors: Jackson L. McReynolds, Suresh Pillai, Palmy Rose Rajan Jesudhasan, Martha Lucia Cepeda Hernandez
  • Patent number: 8148737
    Abstract: Disclosed are a light emitting device, a light emitting device package and a lighting system. The light emitting device of the embodiment includes a light emitting structure including a first conductive semiconductor layer, an active layer over the first conductive semiconductor layer, and a second conductive semiconductor layer over the active layer; a dielectric layer over a first region of the first conductive semiconductor layer; a second electrode over the dielectric layer; and a first electrode over a second region of the first conductive semiconductor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: LG Innotek Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Sung Min Hwang
  • Patent number: 8139619
    Abstract: Provided are a group-III nitride semiconductor laser device with a laser cavity to enable a low threshold current on a semipolar surface of a hexagonal group-III nitride, and a method for fabricating the group-III nitride semiconductor laser device on a stable basis. Notches, e.g., notch 113a and others, are formed at four respective corners of a first surface 13a located on the anode side of a group-III nitride semiconductor laser device 11. The notch 113a or the like is a part of a scribed groove provided for separation of the device 11. The scribed grooves are formed with a laser scriber and the shape of the scribed grooves is adjusted by controlling the laser scriber. For example, a ratio of the depth of the notch 113a or the like to the thickness of the group-III nitride semiconductor laser device 11 is not less than 0.05 and not more than 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shimpei Takagi, Yusuke Yoshizumi, Koji Katayama, Masaki Ueno, Takatoshi Ikegami
  • Patent number: 8059691
    Abstract: A method of producing a nitride semiconductor laser device includes forming a wafer including a nitride semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type, an active layer of a nitride semiconductor, a nitride semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type, and an electrode pad for the second conductivity type stacked in this order on a main surface of a conductive substrate and also including stripe-like waveguide structures parallel to the active layer; cutting the wafer to obtain a first type and a second type of laser device chips; and distinguishing between the first type and the second type of chips by automatic image recognition. The first type and the second type of chips are different from each other in position of the stripe-like waveguide structure with respect to a width direction of each chip and also in area ratio of the electrode pad to the main surface of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yukio Yamasaki
  • Publication number: 20110182319
    Abstract: A CO2 gas discharge laser includes a housing enclosing spaced-apart electrodes and a lasing gas. A laser resonator extends between the spaced-apart electrodes. An RF power supply provides RF power for creating a discharge in the lasing gas, causing laser radiation to be delivered by the laser resonator. The power of the output radiation is directly dependent on the RF power provided to the electrodes and inversely dependent of the temperature of the gas discharge. A signal representative of the discharge-temperature is used to adjust the RF power supplied to the electrodes such that the power of the output radiation is about constant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2010
    Publication date: July 28, 2011
    Applicant: Coherent, Inc.
    Inventors: Gongxue HUA, Lanny Laughman
  • Publication number: 20110051759
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser system includes a diode laser tile. The diode laser tile includes a mounting fixture having a first side and a second side opposing the first side and an array of semiconductor laser pumps coupled to the first side of the mounting fixture. The semiconductor laser system also includes an electrical pulse generator thermally coupled to the diode bar and a cooling member thermally coupled to the diode bar and the electrical pulse generator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2010
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Applicant: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
    Inventors: Steven J. Telford, Anthony S. Ladran
  • 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: 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
  • Patent number: 7876799
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser (a first semiconductor optical device) and an optical modulator (a second semiconductor optical device) are integrated on the same n-type InP substrate. The semiconductor laser butt-joined to the optical modulator. Each of the semiconductor laser and the optical modulator has a Be-doped p-type InGaAs contact layer. The p-type InGaAs contact layers have a Be-doping concentration of 7×1018 cm?3 or more, and a thickness of 300 nm or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Yamatoya, Chikara Watatani
  • Patent number: 7873085
    Abstract: A method of controlling an optical output of a laser diode includes applying a bipolar current pulse to the laser diode, thereby substantially suppressing the emission tail of the optical output of the laser diode. A device for generating sub-nanosecond intense optical pulses includes a driver unit operative to generate a plurality of bipolar current pulses, and a semiconductor laser diode driven by the bipolar current pulses and operative to emit the intense optical pulses each of which has a substantially suppressed or completely eliminated emission tail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Inventors: Andrei Babushkin, Vladimir Efanov
  • Patent number: 7860141
    Abstract: One objective of the present invention is to provide a laser device which is capable of scanning beams of a laser light of high output power at a high speed without using mechanical scanning mechanisms. A plurality of the upper electrodes 33 is linearly arranged in the photonic crystal laser provided with an active layer 21 and a two-dimensional photonic crystal layer 23 which are held between upper electrodes 33 and a lower electrode 27. A current is introduced from one upper electrode 33 or the plurality of the upper electrodes 33 disposed adjacently. Therefore, the active layer 21 generates light and the light is intensified by diffraction in the two-dimensional photonic crystal layer 23, so that a stronger laser light is emitted to the outside from around the upper electrodes 33 into which a current is introduced. When the current-injected upper electrodes are sequentially switched, a laser light scan is performed in the direction of the array of the upper electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignees: Kyoto University, Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Susumu Noda, Masahiro Imada, Dai Ohnishi
  • Patent number: 7848374
    Abstract: Provides is a semiconductor light-emitting device. The semiconductor light-emitting device includes a first conduction-type cladding layer, an active layer, and a second conduction-type cladding layer, on a substrate. Portions of the substrate and the first conduction-type cladding layer are removed. According to the light-emitting device having the above-construction, damage to a grown epitaxial layer is reduced, and a size of an active layer increases, so that a light-emission efficiency increases. Even when a size of a light-emitting device is small, a short-circuit occurring between electrodes can be prevented. Further, brightness and reliability of the light-emitting device are improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: LG Innotek Co., LTD
    Inventor: Kyong Jun Kim
  • Publication number: 20100288341
    Abstract: Photonic crystal cavities and related devices and methods are described. The described cavities can be used as lasers, photovoltaic sources, and single photon sources. The cavities can be both optically and electrically pumped. A fabrication process of the cavities is also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2010
    Publication date: November 18, 2010
    Inventors: Seheon KIM, Axel Scherer
  • Patent number: 7830937
    Abstract: It makes possible to inject a current into the current confinement region substantially uniformly. A surface emitting type optical semiconductor device includes a semiconductor active layer provided above a substrate; a first and second reflecting mirror layers sandwiching the semiconductor active layer to form an optical cavity in a direction perpendicular to the substrate; a plurality of current confinement regions provided in the second reflecting mirror layer so as to be separated by an impurity region having impurities; a semiconductor current diffusion layer provided on the second reflecting mirror layer so as to cover the current confinement regions; and an electrode portion which injects a current into the semiconductor active layer. The electrode portion comprising a first electrode provided on the semiconductor current diffusion layer so as to surround the current confinement regions and a second electrode provided on an opposite side of the substrate from the semiconductor active layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Kushibe, Mizunori Ezaki, Rei Hashimoto, Michihiko Nishigaki
  • Patent number: 7804879
    Abstract: A gas discharge laser includes elongated discharge electrodes having an active surface width that varies along the length of the resonator. In one example each of the electrodes is formed by a row of pins having a circular active surface. The pins are diametrically aligned with the active surfaces generally coplanar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: Coherent, Inc.
    Inventors: Igor Bragin, Vadim Berger
  • Patent number: 7800086
    Abstract: An arrangement for the generation of radiation by a gas discharge has the object of achieving a considerable reduction in the inductance of the discharge circuit for the gas discharge while simultaneously increasing the lifetime of the electrode system. Also, the use of different emitters is ensured. A rotary electrode arrangement accommodated in the discharge chamber contains electrodes which are rigidly connected to one another at a distance from one another and are mounted so as to be rotatable around a common axis. Capacitor elements of a high-voltage power supply for generating high-voltage pulses for the two electrodes are arranged in a free space formed by the mutual distance. The electrodes are electrically connected to the capacitor elements and to a voltage source for charging the capacitor elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Xtreme technologies GmbH
    Inventors: Christian Ziener, Guido Hergenhan, Frank Flohrer, Juergen Kleinschmidt
  • Patent number: 7801196
    Abstract: A light source device includes a plurality of first laser emission units and a plurality of second laser emission units for emitting light. The plurality of first laser emission units and the plurality of second laser emission units are disposed on a flat surface. The first laser emission units and the second laser emission units are composed so that a drive for light emission is sequentially switched. Each of the second laser emission units is disposed between the adjoining first laser emission units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Akira Egawa
  • Patent number: 7729393
    Abstract: A surface emitting laser (SEL) with an integrated absorber. A lower mirror and an output coupler define a laser cavity of the SEL. A monolithic gain structure positioned in the laser cavity includes a gain region and an absorber, wherein a saturation fluence of the absorber is less than a saturation fluence of the gain region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Ian A. Young, Ursula Keller, Heiko Unold, Rüdiger Paschotta, Silke Schön
  • Patent number: 7684459
    Abstract: There is provided a semiconductor laser apparatus. An electrode of a semiconductor laser diode is bonded via a die attach and the electrode of the semiconductor laser diode includes Au and at least one of materials that compose the die attach except Au, in advance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naotaka Mukoyama, Hideo Nakayama, Akemi Murakami, Ryoji Ishii, Yasuaki Kuwata
  • Patent number: 7609745
    Abstract: A novel semiconductor laser device is provided which can suppress internal optical absorption even when In is used as a material for a semiconductor multilayer mirror containing a nitride. The semiconductor laser device has two mirrors disposed to face each other, and an active layer disposed therebetween. At least one of the mirrors is a multilayer mirror having first nitride semiconductor layers containing Ga and second nitride semiconductor layers containing Al, which are alternately laminated to each other. The second nitride semiconductor layer contains In and includes a first region having a refractive index lower than that of the first nitride semiconductor layer, and a second region having a refractive index lower than that of the first nitride semiconductor layer and an In concentration lower than that of the first region. The second region is disposed closer to the active layer than the first region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tetsuya Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 7577177
    Abstract: A laser chamber is provided that increases power, initiation, and discharge efficiency over single chamber lasers by providing a multi-fold laser chamber, protrusions, discharge segmentation and inversion techniques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: Videojet Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: Nathan Paul Monty
  • Patent number: 7535936
    Abstract: A compact mid-IR laser device utilizes an external cavity to tune the laser. The external cavity may employ a Littrow or Littman cavity arrangement. In the Littrow cavity arrangement, a filter, such as a grating, is rotated to provide wavelength gain medium selectivity. In the Littman cavity arrangement, a reflector is rotated to provide tuning. A quantum cascade laser gain medium provides mid-IR frequencies suitable for use in molecular detection by signature absorption spectra. The compact nature of the device is obtained owing to an efficient heat transfer structure, the use of a small diameter aspheric lens for both the output lens and the external cavity lens and a monolithic assembly structure to hold the optical elements in a fixed position relative to one another. The compact housing size may be approximately 20 cm×20 cm×20 cm or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: Daylight Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy Day, David F. Arnone
  • Patent number: 7515626
    Abstract: Various methods, systems, and apparatuses are described in which a light source (101) capable of lasing is wavelength locked by an injected light signal. The light source (101) capable of lasing, such as a Fabry-Perot laser diode, may have antireflective coating on one or more facets of the light source (101) capable of lasing. The light source (101) capable of lasing receives a spectral slice of a light signal from a broadband light source (113) to wavelength lock the output wavelength of the light source (101) capable of lasing within the bandwidth of the injected light signal. A current pump (141) may bias the light source (101) capable of lasing to operate as a reflective regenerate semiconductor optical amplifier so that the injected light is reflected back out a front facet after being amplified and wavelength locked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: Novera Optics, Inc.
    Inventors: Chang-Hee Lee, Wayne V. Sorin
  • Patent number: 7489718
    Abstract: Controlled avalanche driver circuits and apparatuses for gas lasers. One embodiment typically delivers short, rapid, high voltage ionizing pulses in combination with an electric field whose magnitude is too low to sustain a normal glow discharge. The plasma is typically impedance matched with the pulse-forming network. Pre-ionization pulses may be generated. The circuits enable very high power, stable lasers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Inventor: Alan E. Hill
  • Patent number: 7436872
    Abstract: A high-frequency discharge excited gas laser oscillator receiving power from a laser power supply controlled by a pulse command, the high-frequency discharge excited gas laser oscillator provided with a power detecting section for detecting supply power from the laser power supply to a discharge tube and a pulse command control section positioned at an upstream side of the laser power supply, comparing an allowable upper limit value of supply power found from a relationship between a discharge tube temperature and supply power and an actual supply power detected by the power detecting section, stopping the pulse command value to the discharge tube when the supply power is higher than the allowable upper limit value, and setting a pulse command value based on the allowable upper limit value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignee: Fanuc Ltd
    Inventors: Akira Egawa, Minoru Ando, Hajime Ikemoto
  • Publication number: 20080198892
    Abstract: A laser pointer has a body, a laser generator, a retractable cord assembly and an external-power interface. The laser generator is disposed on the body, and the retractable cord assembly is mounted in the body. The retractable cord assembly has an electrical cable having a first end coupled to the laser generator and a second end capable of selectively withdraw from the body. The external-power interface is connected to the second end of the electrical cable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2007
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Applicant: ATEN INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Han-Chung Chiang
  • Patent number: 7356059
    Abstract: A drive current is generated by mixing a pulse signal from a pulse generator and a DC current from a DC current power supply using a T circuit and injected into a nitride semiconductor laser having a horizontal light-confinement ridge structure. The horizontal light-confinement coefficient of the nitride semiconductor laser is between 85% and 99%. The time when the current waveform of the drive current is continuously over the threshold current of the nitride semiconductor laser ranges from 5 nsec to 1,000 nsec.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2008
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yukio Yamasaki, Shigetoshi Ito
  • Publication number: 20080002929
    Abstract: An apparatus and method electrically pumping a hybrid evanescent laser. For one example, an apparatus includes an optical waveguide disposed in silicon. An active semiconductor material is disposed over the optical waveguide defining an evanescent coupling interface between the optical waveguide and the active semiconductor material such that an optical mode to be guided by the optical waveguide overlaps both the optical waveguide and the active semiconductor material. A current injection path is defined through the active semiconductor material and at least partially overlapping the optical mode such that light is generated in response to electrical pumping of the active semiconductor material in response to current injection along the current injection path at least partially overlapping the optical mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2006
    Publication date: January 3, 2008
    Inventors: John E. Bowers, Oded Cohen, Alexander W. Fang, Richard Jones, Mario J. Paniccia, Hyundai Park
  • Patent number: 7092419
    Abstract: An electric field that changes across space is synthesized, by applying voltage levels independent of one another at several locations. The independence in voltage levels allows the electric field that is synthesized to be made periodic or aperiodic. Such a synthesized electric field may be changed at any time for use in, for example, a tunable laser. In one embodiment, the voltage levels are oversampled, although in other embodiments the voltage levels need not be oversampled, e.g. if the to-be-synthesized electric field is aperiodic. Also, in one embodiment, the electric field is used to change the refractive index of an electro-optic substance (such as lithium niobate) in an optical filter. Such an optical filter can be used as part of a wavelength agile laser or in an optical add drop multiplexer or in an optical switch. Such a filter can also be used for dynamic power balancing and/or for dynamic gain equalization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2006
    Assignee: San Jose Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce R. Woodley, Neil MacKinnon
  • Patent number: 6999492
    Abstract: An oil-free pulser design can be used to produce an excimer or molecular fluorine laser system that is lighter, cheaper to produce, and simpler than existing systems. Such designs allow a relatively low DC voltage to be applied to a main transformer, allowing the pulser to be run without oil cooling. This relatively low voltage can be increased to the necessary voltage level, such as on the order to 12 kV to 15 kV, needed to drive the laser system. This transference can be accomplished using standard components, such as a pair of capacitor elements that are pulse-charged in parallel, but can be discharged in series following a reversal of charge on one of the capacitor elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Lambda Physik AG
    Inventors: Hubertus von Bergmann, Spencer Merz, Gongxue Hua, Sergei V. Govorkov
  • Patent number: 6987790
    Abstract: Precise timing control can be obtained for a gas discharge laser, such as an excimer or molecular fluorine laser, using a timed trigger ionization. Instead of using a standard approach to control the timing of the emission or amplification of an optical pulse using the discharge of the main electrodes, the timing of which can only be controlled to within about 10 ns, a trigger ionization pulse applied subsequent to the charging of the main electrodes can be used to control the timing of the discharge, thereby decreasing the timing variations to about 1 ns. Since ionization of the laser gas can consume relatively small amounts of energy, such a circuit can be based on a fast, high-voltage, solid state switch that is virtually free of jitter. Trigger ionization also can be used to synchronize the timing of dual chambers in a MOPA configuration. In one such approach, ionization trigger can include at least a portion of the optical pulse from the oscillator in a MOPA configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2006
    Assignee: Lambda Physik AG
    Inventors: Sergei V. Govorkov, Rainer Paetzel, Igor Bragin, Rainer Desor, Andreas Targsdorf, Andriy Knysh
  • Patent number: 6872471
    Abstract: The present invention includes infrared emitting materials and infrared emitting devices. The present invention demonstrates 1.54 micron infrared PL and EL emission from an organic complex. This provides a very simple way to obtain a light source at 1.54 micron wavelength that may be both optically and electrically pumped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Assignee: The Ohio State University Research Foundation
    Inventors: Arthur J. Epstein, Qianbing Zheng, Run G. Sun
  • Patent number: 6792010
    Abstract: According to the present invention, laser performance is improved by appropriately matching the spectral periods of various etalons within the laser cavity. A first embodiment of the invention is a discretely tunable external cavity semiconductor laser where a grid fixing etalon is present in the laser cavity, the grid fixing etalon free spectral range (FSR) is a whole number multiple of the laser cavity FSR, and the grid fixing etalon FSR is a whole number multiple of the chip etalon FSR. A second embodiment of the invention is a fixed wavelength external cavity semiconductor laser where the chip etalon FSR is a whole number multiple of the laser cavity FSR, and a mode suppressing etalon is inserted into the laser cavity such that the mode suppressing etalon FSR is a whole number multiple of the chip etalon FSR. A third embodiment of the invention is a tunable external cavity semiconductor laser where the chip etalon FSR is a whole number multiple of the laser cavity FSR.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Picarro, Inc.
    Inventors: Serguei Koulikov, Grzegorz Pakulski, Barbara A. Paldus, Chris W. Rella, Jinchun Xie