Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080225288 | Imaging Systems and Methods - Imaging systems and methods are provided. In one embodiment, an image system is disclosed that comprises a Raman gain medium configured to receive an image from a target area and a tunable laser configured to pump light into the Raman gain medium over a plurality of first wavelengths to induce amplification of the image over a plurality of second wavelengths strokes shifted from the plurality of first wavelengths. The image system further comprises an image detector system that receives and processes the amplified image over the plurality of second wavelengths. | 09-18-2008 |
20090074013 | Thulium doped fiber configuration for enhanced high power operation - An optical fiber amplifier includes a laser pump source for generating laser pump light; a fiber including an inner cladding layer optically coupled to a laser pump source for receiving laser pump light; a large mode area (LMA) core surrounded by the inner cladding, the LMA core including a confined region having a predetermined doping concentration of rare-earth ions for undergoing excitation to generate laser light when pumped by the laser pump light; and an outer cladding layer surrounding the inner cladding layer for substantially confining the laser pump light to the inner cladding and the LMA core. In a method of forming the optical fiber amplifier, a ratio of an area of the confined region to an area of the LMA core, and the predetermined doping concentration of the rare earth ions are selected so as to achieve a quantum efficiency (QE) gain factor of approximately 2, but such that the heat dissipation per unit length can be controlled by adjusting the area of the confined region. | 03-19-2009 |
20090116805 | Scalable semiconductor waveguide amplifier - One embodiment of the present method and apparatus encompasses an apparatus that may have: a predetermined length, the self-imaging semiconductor waveguide having first and second opposed sides; quantum wells disposed within the self-imaging semiconductor waveguide along the length of the self-imaging semiconductor waveguide, the quantum wells being formed of a quantum well gain material; microchannel cooler that extends substantially the width of the self-imaging semiconductor waveguide, the microchannel cooler located adjacent the first side of the self-imaging semiconductor waveguide; and a plurality of pump arrays arranged along the microchannel cooler opposed from the first side of the self-imaging semiconductor waveguide; wherein the quantum well gain material is photopumped through the microchannel cooler. | 05-07-2009 |
20090268069 | Photopumped semiconductor image amplifier with optical preamplification - One embodiment is an optical image preamplifier having an input through which a laser signal is received and amplified, said laser signal emanating from a target illuminated by a laser transmitter or generated by multiple lasercom transmitters in the field of view; the optical image preamplifier also having an output; and a focal plane array having an input operatively coupled to the output of the optical preamplifier. Embodiments of the present method and apparatus may be utilized to overcome photodetector and post-detection electronic noise to permit near quantum-limited receiver sensitivity with simple focal plane technologies. These embodiments enable ladar, wavefront sensor and multiple access lasercom systems that provide high sensitivity with the wide bandwidth and wavelength flexibility of semiconductor laser media. | 10-29-2009 |
20090268761 | Method for mode control in multimode semiconductor waveguide lasers - One embodiment is a wide stripe semiconductor waveguide, which is cleaved at a Talbot length thereof, the wide stripe semiconductor waveguide having facets with mirror coatings. A system provides for selective pumping the wide stripe semiconductor waveguide to create and support a Talbot mode. In embodiments according to the present method and apparatus the gain is patterned so that a single unique pattern actually has the highest gain and hence it is the distribution that oscillates. | 10-29-2009 |
20110176204 | PHOTO-PUMPED SEMICONDUCTOR OPTICAL AMPLIFIER - An edge photo-pumped semiconductor slab amplifier including an undoped semiconductor slab. A first gain structure is formed on an upper surface of the slab and a second gain structure is formed on a lower surface of the slab. The gain structures can be resonant periodic gain structures including a plurality of stacked quantum well layers. Confining layers are coupled to the gain structures to confine a signal beam within the semiconductor slab. Heat sinks are thermally coupled to the confining layers. Optical pump sources are provided along the side edges or coupled to the end edges of the slab so that pump light is introduced into the slab through the edges to provide gain for the quantum well layers. | 07-21-2011 |
20110221641 | PHOTOCONDUCTIVE SEMICONDUCTOR FIBER ANTENNA - An antenna system including at least one fiber antenna element having a semiconductor core and an outer cladding layer, where the core has a higher index of refraction than the cladding layer. A pump source provides pump light to the cladding layer in a manner that allows the pump light to propagate down the cladding layer to be absorbed by the core to generate photo-carriers in the core. An antenna circuit is electrically coupled to the core and provides one or both of an RF signal to the core for transmission purposes or receiving an RF signal from the core for reception purposes. | 09-15-2011 |
20110290026 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETECTING CONTAMINANTS - Systems and methods are provided for detecting contaminants associated with a target. In one embodiment, a system is provided that comprises a tunable laser configured to transmit an illuminator pulse at a target for a predetermined time duration and a laser Doppler vibrometer system configured to transmit a probe pulse at a surface of the target within the predetermined time duration. The laser Doppler vibrometer system is further configured to detect and analyze at least one return pulse of the probe pulse to determine a surface expansion velocity of contaminants associated with the target due to the illuminator pulse. | 12-01-2011 |
20110292501 | SCALABLE SEMICONDUCTOR WAVEGUIDE AMPLIFIER - One embodiment of the present method and apparatus encompasses an apparatus that may have: a predetermined length, the self-imaging semiconductor waveguide having first and second opposed sides; quantum wells disposed within the self-imaging semiconductor waveguide along the length of the self-imaging semiconductor waveguide, the quantum wells being formed of a quantum well gain material; microchannel cooler that extends substantially the width of the self-imaging semiconductor waveguide, the microchannel cooler located adjacent the first side of the self-imaging semiconductor waveguide; and a plurality of pump arrays arranged along the microchannel cooler opposed from the first side of the self-imaging semiconductor waveguide; wherein the quantum well gain material is photopumped through the microchannel cooler. | 12-01-2011 |