Mark A Bowers

US Patent:

6680956, Jan 20, 2004

Filed:

Feb 13, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/076794

Inventors:

David C. Gerstenberger - Bothell WA
Mark S. Bowers - Bothell WA

Assignee:

Aculight Corporation - Bothwell WA

International Classification:

H01S 310

US Classification:

372 20, 372 22, 372 45, 372 75, 372 97, 372 21

Abstract:

Methods and devices are provided for converting a fundamental wavelength of a fundamental beam generated by a surface-emitting diode laser having a first resonating cavity. According to some embodiments, a first nonlinear crystal disposed in a second resonating cavity external to first resonating cavity converts the fundamental beam to a first output beam having a first output wavelength different from the fundamental wavelength. Some embodiments include a second nonlinear crystal, which may be disposed in the second resonating cavity or in a third resonating cavity, for producing a second output beam having a second output wavelength different from the first output wavelength. In some such embodiments, the second nonlinear crystal converts the wavelength of the first output beam to produce the second output beam. In some embodiments, the second nonlinear crystal interacts with the first output beam and an infrared beam from another laser device to produce the second output beam.

US Patent:

6741620, May 25, 2004

Filed:

Feb 12, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/076696

Inventors:

David C. Gerstenberger - Bothell WA
Mark S. Bowers - Bothell WA

Assignee:

Aculight Corporation - Bothell WA

International Classification:

H01S 310

US Classification:

372 22, 372 21, 372 34

Abstract:

Efficient devices and methods for producing ultraviolet light are provided. One such device includes a diode-pumped 946 nanometer solid state laser, a first nonlinear crystal for generating blue light at approximately 473 nanometers, and a second nonlinear crystal for doubling the frequency of the blue light to produce a fourth harmonic beam of ultraviolet light at approximately 236. 5 nanometers. In some embodiments, the second nonlinear crystal is a cooled CLBO crystal angle-tuned for non-critical phase-matching to provide high conversion efficiency. Some embodiments include a second laser which emits a fundamental beam having a wavelength of more than one micron and a third nonlinear crystal for sum-frequency mixing the fundamental beam and the fourth harmonic beam to output an ultraviolet beam having a wavelength of less than 200 nanometers.

US Patent:

6832024, Dec 14, 2004

Filed:

Nov 19, 2001

Appl. No.:

10/042943

Inventors:

David C. Gerstenberger - Bothell WA 98011
Mark S. Bowers - Bothell WA 98011
Dennis D. Lowenthal - Edmonds WA 98020
Jason N. Farmer - Vancouver WA 98665
Roy D. Mead - Edmonds WA 98020
Charles I. Miyake - Kirkland WA 98033

International Classification:

G02B 634

US Classification:

385 37, 359328, 372 22

Abstract:

A wide variety of Fiber Bragg writing devices comprising solid state lasers are provided. The solid state lasers emit moderate peak-power output beams which are suitable for efficient production of fiber Bragg gratings without causing embrittlement of the optical waveguide. These solid state lasers generate fourth harmonic output beams with wavelengths of approximately 240 nm, in order to match the primary absorption peak in the ultraviolet range for a typical optical waveguide. Some of these solid state lasers comprise a fequency-doubling crystal and a CLBO crystal used in a non-critically phase-matched orientation as a frequency-quadrupling crystal. In such lasers, both the frequency-doubling crystal and frequency-quadrupling crystal are preferably engineered to minimize or eliminate beam âwalkoff. â.

US Patent:

7471705, Dec 30, 2008

Filed:

Nov 9, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/558362

Inventors:

David C. Gerstenberger - Bothell WA, US
Mark S. Bowers - Bothell WA, US

Assignee:

Lockheed Martin Corporation - Bethesda MD

International Classification:

H01S 3/10

US Classification:

372 21, 372 22

Abstract:

An apparatus and method applicable for generating ultraviolet laser light having a wavelength in the 200-nm range and/or 250-nm range; in some embodiments, using a single fiber laser pump source (in some embodiments, a pulsed source). In some embodiments, the invention provides methods of generating 250-nm or 200-nm photons using a mode-locked 1000-nm fiber laser and efficient 4th/5th harmonic frequency up-conversion. In other embodiments, the invention uses continuous wave (cw) single-frequency fiber lasers and external resonant frequency conversion. In still other embodiments, the invention uses cw single-frequency optically-pumped semiconductor lasers (OPSLs) and electrically driven vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) and externally resonant frequency conversion. All of these produce both of the ultraviolet wavelengths of interest.