Thomas A Kane

US Patent:

6563995, May 13, 2003

Filed:

Apr 2, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/825148

Inventors:

Gregory L. Keaton - San Francisco CA
Mark A. Arbore - Los Altos CA
Thomas J. Kane - Menlo Park CA

Assignee:

Lightwave Electronics - Mountain View CA

International Classification:

G02B 602

US Classification:

385127, 385123

Abstract:

An apparatus and a method for separating a light of a first wavelength from a second wavelength , where , in a waveguide such as an optical fiber is described. The apparatus includes a core surrounded by a depressed cladding, which itself is surrounded by a secondary cladding. The core cross-section, the depressed cladding cross-section, the secondary cladding cross-section, and the refractive indices of the core, the depressed cladding and the secondary cladding are selected to produce a fundamental mode cutoff wavelength such that , and produce a high loss at the secondary wavelength. The apparatus can be used as a filter, an amplifier, a laser, or in a nonlinear optical switch.

US Patent:

6614815, Sep 2, 2003

Filed:

Jun 29, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/608442

Inventors:

Thomas J. Kane - Menlo Park CA
Gregory L. Keaton - San Francisco CA

Assignee:

Lightwave Electronics - Mountain View CA

International Classification:

H01S 330

US Classification:

372 6, 372 22, 372 70, 359328, 3593411, 359345

Abstract:

An approach to blue light in a single, integrated system is disclosed. An oscillator generates source radiation at a wavelength near 0. 91 microns and a few milliwatts of power. This power is amplified to multi-Watt levels in a Neodymium-doped cladding-pumped fiber device that has its gain suppressed at 1. 05 microns. A harmonic generator frequency-doubles the output of the fiber device to produce radiation at a blue wavelength near 0. 455 microns. Mirrors, gratings or other means in the fiber expel wavelengths of light at or near 1. 05 microns while allowing 0. 91 micron radiation to remain in the fiber. Gain at 1. 05 microns may alternatively be suppressed by adjusting the refractive index profile of the fiber to eliminate bound-modes at 1. 05 microns or by bending the fiber to attenuate radiation at 1. 05 microns.

US Patent:

6753931, Jun 22, 2004

Filed:

Aug 10, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/927596

Inventors:

Thomas J. Kane - Menlo Park CA
Jeffrey D. Kmetec - Palo Alto CA

Assignee:

Lightwave Electronics - Mountain View CA

International Classification:

H04N 912

US Classification:

348742, 348750, 348757

Abstract:

A system and method for using pulses of laser light delivered in a non-overlapping sequence of first pulses at a green wavelength, second pulses at a blue wavelength and semi-continuous pulses at a red wavelength to illuminate a color generation unit for generating a color. Typically, the color generating unit is an image generating unit for producing color images and is equipped with transmissive or reflective pixels which are adjusted to select portions of the laser light generated at the green, blue and red wavelengths to obtain a desired output color. The first and second pulses preferably have a narrow pulse width and an interpulse separation equal to at least 100 times the narrow pulse width, while the semi-continuous pulses at the red wavelength have a wide pulse width equal to at least 100 times the narrow pulse width.

US Patent:

6876490, Apr 5, 2005

Filed:

Mar 10, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/386406

Inventors:

Thomas J. Kane - Menlo Park CA, US
Mark A. Arbore - Los Altos CA, US
Gregory L. Keaton - San Francisco CA, US

Assignee:

LightWave Electronics - Mountain View CA

International Classification:

H01S003/00

US Classification:

3593411, 3593415

Abstract:

A Thulium-doped silica fiber normally has its strongest gain at 1. 9 microns and thus is not suitable for communication use. By engineering a W-profile or depressed cladding fiber with an appropriate index profile having a fundamental mode cut-off between 1. 9 microns and the shorter wavelength of desired operation, an optical amplifier based on the W-profile Thulium-doped silica fiber operates at wavelengths shorter than conventional amplifiers, just above what is currently called the Erbium L-band. In a preferred embodiment, the cut-off wavelength is at or near 1. 7 μm, eliminating longer wavelengths from the fiber. Amplifiers engineered according to the principles and techniques of the present invention can operate in the wavelength range between about 1. 6 to 1. 8 microns, which is particularly useful for telecommunications.

US Patent:

6909730, Jun 21, 2005

Filed:

Mar 1, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/377978

Inventors:

Thomas J. Kane - Menlo Park CA, US

Assignee:

Lightwave Electronics Corporation - Mountain View CA

International Classification:

H01S003/11

US Classification:

372 10

Abstract:

Methods and apparatus for controlling a passively Q-switched laser (PQSL) that use a Q-switched laser as a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) in a phase-locked loop control circuit are disclosed. The PQSL may be optically coupled to a detector. The detector may be coupled to a an input of a phase lock loop controller. A reference oscillator may be coupled to a reference input of the phase lock loop controller. An output of the phase lock loop controller may be coupled to an integrator. The integrator may be coupled to a means for controlling an amount of power provided to the PQSL.

US Patent:

6995900, Feb 7, 2006

Filed:

Jan 21, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/348802

Inventors:

Gregory L. Keaton - San Francisco CA, US
Mark A. Arbore - Los Altos CA, US
Thomas J. Kane - Menlo Park CA, US

Assignee:

JDS Uniphase Corporation - San Jose CA

International Classification:

H01S 3/00
C03B 37/023
G02B 6/02

US Classification:

3593411, 385127, 65385

Abstract:

A method of producing a short-pass fiber by drawing a preform for a depressed cladding fiber at a predetermined drawing ratio. The preform has a core of refractive index n, a depressed cladding surrounding the core and having a refractive index n, and a secondary cladding surrounding the depressed cladding and having a refractive index n. The core has a core cross-section and the depressed cladding has a depressed cladding cross-section that is larger than the core cross-section. The drawing ratio is determined based on the parameters of the preform measured along the axis of the preform and based on a desired minimum fundamental mode cutoff wavelength λ. The final core cross-section defines a fundamental mode cutoff wavelength λsuch that λ≧λalong the axis. Then the preform is pulled by the thus-determined drawing ratio to produce the short-pass fiber. In some embodiments a test section of the fiber is pulled first before pulling the short pass fiber.

US Patent:

7039076, May 2, 2006

Filed:

Sep 12, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/662097

Inventors:

Thomas J. Kane - Menlo Park CA, US
Gregory L. Keaton - San Francisco CA, US
James J. Morehead - Oakland CA, US

Assignee:

JDS Uniphase Corporation - San Jose CA

International Classification:

H01S 3/30

US Classification:

372 6, 372 25

Abstract:

A light source is disclosed having a pulsed laser, a fiber amplifier optically coupled to the pulsed laser, and a nonlinear frequency converting element optically coupled to the fiber amplifier. The pulsed laser, e. g. , a passively Q-switched laser, is configured to generate light pulses characterized by a pulse length of less than about 1. 7 nsec and sufficiently large that a frequency bandwidth of the pulses after they emerge from the fiber amplifier is less than an acceptance bandwidth of the nonlinear frequency converting element. The laser is pulsed at a pulse repetition rate sufficiently large that the fiber amplifier does not spontaneously emit radiation between pulses. In such a source, the fiber amplifier is substantially free of stimulated Brillouin scattering and self-phase modulation may be held to a level that does not reduce conversion of infrared radiation to visible radiation. Such a light source can be combined with an image generator and a scanner in an image projection system.

US Patent:

7116687, Oct 3, 2006

Filed:

Sep 12, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/662086

Inventors:

Thomas J. Kane - Menlo Park CA, US
Loren A. Eyres - Palo Alto CA, US
David R. Balsley - San Francisco CA, US
Gregory L. Keaton - San Francisco CA, US
James J. Morehead - Oakland CA, US

Assignee:

JDS Uniphase Corporation - Milpitas CA

International Classification:

H01S 3/10

US Classification:

372 9, 372 6, 372 41

Abstract:

A laser apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a Neodymium-doped lasing material having first and second surfaces and a passive Q-switch optically coupled to the second surface. The first-surface is substantially transparent to a pump radiation and substantially reflective to laser radiation generated by an interaction between the pump radiation and the Neodymium-doped lasing material. The laser radiation is characterized by a vacuum wavelength corresponding to an atomic transition from the Flevel to the Ilevel of Neodymium in the lasing material. The second surface transmits at least a portion of the laser radiation. The lasing material and Q-switch are configured to produce pulses of the laser radiation characterized by a pulse length of greater than zero and less than about 1. 5 nanoseconds and a pulse repetition rate greater than about 100 kHz. A PQSL laser, an apparatus for generating blue light and a display system based on the laser apparatus are also disclosed.