Alan Braun

US Patent:

6665476, Dec 16, 2003

Filed:

Aug 2, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/920795

Inventors:

Alan Michael Braun - New Brunswick NJ
Joseph Hy Abeles - East Brunswick NJ
Robert Amantea - Manalapan NJ

Assignee:

Sarnoff Corporation - Princeton NJ

International Classification:

G02B 626

US Classification:

385 50, 385 14, 385 24, 385 27, 398 82, 398 42, 398 45, 398 48

Abstract:

One embodiment of the present invention is an exemplary wavelength selective optical coupling device. This exemplary device includes two waveguides, a ring or disc resonator, and resonator coupling elements. The waveguides are disposed on top of a substrate, not in contact with each other. The waveguides may transmit multiple wavelengths of light. The ring or disc resonator includes a dielectric member which extends parallel to the top of the substrate and overlaps, without contacting, the waveguides. The resonator is sized to resonate at a subset of resonant wavelengths. The resonator coupling elements couple the resonator to the substrate. The resonator coupling elements may include a bridge coupled to the top surface of the substrate and electrically coupled to control circuitry within the substrate. A waveguide coupling signal from the control circuitry causes the bridge to deform, translating the resonator up and down, thereby intermittently coupling and decoupling the waveguides.

US Patent:

7164699, Jan 16, 2007

Filed:

Jun 1, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/859553

Inventors:

Alan Michael Braun - Lawrenceville NJ, US
Joseph H. Abeles - East Brunswick NJ, US
Martin H. Kwakernaak - New Brunswick NJ, US
Viktor Borisovitch Khalfin - Hightstown NJ, US

Assignee:

Sarnoff Corporation - Princeton NJ

International Classification:

H01S 3/13

US Classification:

372 29022

Abstract:

A low-jitter optical pulse source including: a monolithic waveguide including a first section substantially perpendicular to a first facet and a second section being curved and substantially non-perpendicular to a second facet; and, an optical circulator coupled to the monolithic waveguide and forming a sigma cavity in combination with the monolithic waveguide, wherein the first facet forms a sole reflector for the sigma cavity.

US Patent:

7400207, Jul 15, 2008

Filed:

Jan 5, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/030009

Inventors:

Steven Alan Lipp - West Windsor NJ, US
Joseph H. Abeles - East Brunswick NJ, US
Alan Michael Braun - Lawrenceville NJ, US
Sterling Eduard McBride - Princeton NJ, US
John P. Riganati - Skillman NJ, US
Peter J. Zanzucchi - Princeton Junction NJ, US

Assignee:

Sarnoff Corporation - Princeton NJ

International Classification:

H01S 1/06

US Classification:

331 941, 331 3

Abstract:

A cell suitable for use with an atomic clock and a method for making the same, the cell including: a silicon wafer having a recess formed therein; at least one amorphous silicate member having an ion mobility and temperature expansion coefficient approximately that of silicon sealing the recess; and, an alkali metal containing component and buffer gas contained in the recess. The method includes: providing a silicon wafer; forming a cavity through the silicon wafer; introducing an alkali metal containing component and buffer gas into the cavity; and, anodically bonding at least one amorphous silicate member having an ion mobility and temperature expansion coefficient approximately that of silicon to the wafer to close the cavity.

US Patent:

7468637, Dec 23, 2008

Filed:

Apr 18, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/736657

Inventors:

Alan Michael Braun - Lawrenceville NJ, US
Joseph Hy Abeles - East Brunswick NJ, US
Winston Kong Chan - Princeton NJ, US
Martin Kwakernaak - New Brunswick NJ, US
Timothy James Davis - Columbus NJ, US

Assignee:

Sarnoff Corporation - Princeton NJ

International Classification:

H01S 1/06
H03L 7/26

US Classification:

331 941, 331 3

Abstract:

A chip scale atomic clock is disclosed that provides a low power atomic time/frequency reference that employs direct RF-interrogation on an end-state transition. The atomic time/frequency reference includes an alkali vapor cell containing alkali atoms, preferably cesium atoms, flex circuits for physically supporting, heating, and thermally isolating the alkali vapor cell, a laser source for pumping alkali atoms within the alkali vapor cell into an end resonance state by applying an optical signal along a first axis, a photodetector for detecting a second optical signal emanating from the alkali vapor cell along the first axis, a pair of RF excitation coils for applying an RF-interrogation signal to the alkali atoms along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, a pair of bias coils for applying a uniform DC magnetic field along the first axis, and a pair of Zeeman coils for applying a Zeeman interrogation signal to the alkali atoms and oriented and configured to apply a time-varying magnetic field along the second axis through the alkali vapor cell. Another flex circuit is used for physically supporting the laser source, for heating the laser source, and for providing thermal isolation of the laser source. The laser source can be a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VSCEL).

US Patent:

7477670, Jan 13, 2009

Filed:

May 27, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/140602

Inventors:

Joseph H. Abeles - Middlesex NJ, US
Alan M. Braun - Lawrenceville NJ, US
Viktor Borisovitch Khalfin - Hightstown NJ, US
Martin H. Kwakernaak - New Brunswick NJ, US
Ramon U. Martinelli - Hightstown NJ, US
Hooman Mohseni - Wilmette IL, US

Assignee:

Sarnoff Corporation - Princeton NJ

International Classification:

H01S 5/00

US Classification:

372 5012, 372 501, 372 5022

Abstract:

A high power laser system including: a plurality of emitters each including a large area waveguide and a plurality of quantum well regions optically coupled to the large area waveguide, wherein each of the quantum well regions exhibits a low modal overlap with the large area waveguide; a collimator optically coupled to the emitters; a diffraction grating optically coupled through the collimator to the emitters; and, an output coupler optically coupled through the diffraction grating to the emitters.

US Patent:

7852163, Dec 14, 2010

Filed:

Nov 19, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/273852

Inventors:

Alan Michael Braun - Lawrenceville NJ, US
Joseph Hy Abeles - East Brunswick NJ, US
Winston Kong Chan - Princeton NJ, US
Martin Kwakernaak - New Brunswick NJ, US
Timothy James Davis - Columbus NJ, US

Assignee:

Sarnoff Corporation - Princeton NJ

International Classification:

H01S 1/06
H03L 7/26

US Classification:

331 941, 331 3

Abstract:

A chip scale atomic clock is disclosed that provides a low power atomic time/frequency reference that employs direct RF-interrogation on an end-state transition. The atomic time/frequency reference includes an alkali vapor cell containing alkali atoms, preferably cesium atoms, flex circuits for physically supporting, heating, and thermally isolating the alkali vapor cell, a laser source for pumping alkali atoms within the alkali vapor cell into an end resonance state by applying an optical signal along a first axis, a photodetector for detecting a second optical signal emanating from the alkali vapor cell along the first axis, a pair of RF excitation coils for applying an RF-interrogation signal to the alkali atoms along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, a pair of bias coils for applying a uniform DC magnetic field along the first axis, and a pair of Zeeman coils for applying a Zeeman interrogation signal to the alkali atoms and oriented and configured to apply a time-varying magnetic field along the second axis through the alkali vapor cell. Another flex circuit is used for physically supporting the laser source, for heating the laser source, and for providing thermal isolation of the laser source. The laser source can be a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VSCEL).

US Patent:

20050265407, Dec 1, 2005

Filed:

May 16, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/130038

Inventors:

Alan Braun - Lawrenceville NJ, US
Peter Delfyett - Geneva FL, US

International Classification:

H01S003/10

US Classification:

372030000

Abstract:

A compact signal source including: a semiconductor-based, pulsed optical energy source for providing a series of pulses at a given frequency; a selector being optical fiber coupled to the pulsed optical energy source and for down-selecting the pulses to a lower frequency; a stretcher being optical fiber coupled to the selector and for temporally stretching the selected pulses; at least one semiconductor-based optical amplifier being optical fiber coupled to the stretcher and for amplifying the selected pulses; a compressor being optical fiber coupled to the at least one semiconductor-based amplifier and for temporally compressing the amplified, stretched, selected pulses; and, a portable housing containing the pulsed optical energy source, stretcher, at least one semiconductor-based optical amplifier and compressor.

US Patent:

20060022761, Feb 2, 2006

Filed:

Jul 18, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/183561

Inventors:

Joseph Abeles - East Brunswick NJ, US
Alan Braun - Lawrenceville NJ, US
Winston Chan - Princeton NJ, US
Martin Kwakernaak - New Brunswick NJ, US
Steven Lipp - West Windsor NJ, US
Alfred Ulmer - Beverly NJ, US

International Classification:

H01S 1/06

US Classification:

331094100

Abstract:

A clock including: a portable, at least partially evacuated housing; a cell being positioned within the housing and including an internal cavity having interior dimensions each less than about 1 millimeter, an intra-cavity pressure of at least about 760 Torr, and containing a metal atomic vapor; an electrical to optical energy converter being positioned within the housing to emit light through the metal atomic vapor; an optical energy intensity detector being positioned within the housing to receive the light emitted by the converter through the metal atomic vapor; at least one conductive winding around the cavity to stabilize the magnetic field experienced in the cavity dependently upon the detector; and, an output to provide a signal from the housing dependently upon the detector detecting the light emitted by the converter through the metal atomic vapor.