An optical coupling device for diverting light among different transmission elements. The device includes at least one graded-index-of-refraction lens with transmission elements coupled to one surface. At the opposite surface of the lens is a reflecting element which is adapted for movement so as to vary the angle of reflection of the incoming light from one of the transmission elements.

Optical coupling device utilizing a mirror and cantilevered arm

A laser device (10) which may be used as an oscillator or amplifier comprising a chamber (12) having a volume formed therein and a gain medium comprises solid-state elements (14) containing active laser ion distributed within the volume. A cooling fluid (16) flows about the solid-state elements and a semiconductor laser diode (18) provides optical pump radiation into the volume of the laser chamber (12) such that laser emission from the device passes through the gain medium (14) and the fluid (16). The laser device (10) provides the advantages of a solid-state gain medium laser (e.g., diode-pumping, high power density, etc.), but enables operation at higher average power and beam quality than would be achievable from a pure solid-state medium.

Laser containing a distributed gain medium

A switchable multichannel external cavity injection laser incorporates a diffraction grating between a linear array of n reflectors and a common reflector to define a set of n optical cavities having different frequency bands. Each of the (n+1) reflectors is provided by the optically distal end of an associated semiconductor laser amplifier whose optically proximal end is arranged to be substantially non-reflective.

Multichannel cavity laser

A face-pumped laser device utilizes one or more thin planar laser elements which have major surfaces thereof in physical contact with a flowing coolant having an index of refraction near that of the laser elements. The arrangement allows increased pulse repetition rates while also maintaining uniform optical properties and relaxing wavelength tolerance requirements of the laser elements.

Face-pumped, face-cooled laser device

In order to protect a delicate photo-detector from high-intensity optical radiation such as from a laser, a device for limiting power to the detector is interposed between the radiation and detector This device has two embodiments and is made such that high-intensity radiation is totally reflected In the absence of high-intensity radiation, total reflection is frustrated, and desired radiation passes to the detector Both embodiments use two prisms with parallel surfaces skewed to incident radiation and with a slightly absorbant optical material between the surfaces Desired radiation normally passes through the prisms and the material to the detector In one embodiment, the material is a liquid which vaporizes in response to high-intensity radiation, and in the other embodiment, the material expands and pushes the prisms apart In either case, transmission of radiation halts, and the radiation is totally reflected by a prism skewed surface

Frustrated total internal reflection optical power limiter

High power dissipation laser structure

The invention relates to a laser device which comprises in combination laser generation means including a laser cavity which has a gaseous medium in at least a portion of the cavity and which produces directed energy comprised of a group of frequency bands. Also included are apparatuses which react with the directed energy, so designed so as to avoid translation and angular rotation of the directed energy. The apparatuses provide selective tuning of the laser cavity to at least one of the frequency bands. Included are equipments for programming the apparatuses so that the laser is tuned to either one of the frequency bands, to all of the frequency bands in a predetermined sequence, or to some of the frequency bands in a random access manner. An additional component interposed in the path of the directed energy beam enables the laser beam to act as a carrier of the electrical signals provided by this additional component.

Selectively tunable gaseous laser

A CCD driven integrated optical modulator array including an array of chirp grating optical lenses implemented on the surface of an electro-optical crystal such as LiNbO3 or LiTaO3, a plurality of channel waveguides and a thin metal film pattern on the surface of the waveguides for modulating the optical waveform in each channel. The thin metal film form planar capacitors, each of the capacitors being electrically connected to the output circuit of a corresponding semiconductor device, such as a CCD array. The CCD array is implemented on a semiconductor wafer bonded to the electro-optical crystal. Signals in each optical channel in the electro-optical crystal are thereby modulated by corresponding circuit elements associated with corresponding CCD channels implemented on the major surface of the semiconductor wafer.

Ccd driven integrated optical modulator array

Bleachable reflectance output coupler

A digital-to-analog optical recorder incorporating both CCD and integrated optics technologies which is fabricated as a single integral unit including an electro-optical layer portion and a semiconductor layer portion. Sampling circuits and digital-to-analog converters are implemented on the semiconductor layer portion using CCD technology, and a plurality of optical channel waveguides and electro-optical modulators are implemented on the electro-optical layer portion. Each digital signal is converted into two complementary light spots at the output of the recorder.

Richard Austin Gudmundsen

Papers

High power dissipation laser structure

Selectively tunable gaseous laser

Ccd driven integrated optical modulator array

Bleachable reflectance output coupler

Digital-to-analog optical recorder