Patent US4842360A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4842360A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
High energy laser-to-waveguide coupling devices and methods
Assignee: Summit Technology Inc
•
Filing: 1987-06-18
•
Granted: 1989-06-27
•
Expires: 2007-06-18
Abstract
Abstract Laser-to-waveguide coupling devices and methods are disclosed employing an aperture, and an imaging lens. The aperture clips the beam edges to flatten the spatial intensity profile, and the lens mirror-images the plane of the aperture onto the waveguide face with appropriate magnification or demagnification to match the input beam dimensions to those of the waveguide. In one preferred embodiment, a first focusing lens is also employed in conjunction with a pinhole aperture and a second imaging lens. The first focusing lens focuses the laser beam onto the aperture and thereby reduces the optical path length. The second imaging lens images the plane of the aperture onto the waveguide.
Inventors
- 👤 Richard G. Caro
- 👤 Troy M. Harmon
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 18:05
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/24; G02B6/42; G02B6/4201; G02B6/4204; G02B6/4206; G02B6/4296; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S359/00; Y10S359/90
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 35
Claim 1
Independent Claim
92 words
A coupling apparatus for coupling a high energy laser radiation beam from a laser to an optical waveguide, the coupling apparatus comprising: an aperture-defining element disposed between a high energy laser and an optical waveguide, the aperture-defining element having an aperture which permits a central portion of the radiation beam to pass therethrough while a peripheral portion of the beam is clipped, such that the spatial intensity profile of the beam is flattened; and an imaging lens for imaging the plane of the aperture onto an end face of the optical waveguide.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
92 words
A coupling apparatus for coupling a high energy laser radiation beam from a laser to an optical waveguide, the coupling apparatus comprising: an aperture-defining element disposed between a high energy laser and an optical waveguide, the aperture-defining element having an aperture which permits a central portion of the radiation beam to pass therethrough while a peripheral portion of the beam is clipped, such that the spatial intensity profile of the beam is flattened; and an imaging lens for imaging the plane of the aperture onto an end face of the optical waveguide.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus further includes a focusing lens disposed between the laser and the aperture-defining element for focusing the radiation beam from the laser onto the aperture.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the focusing and imaging lenses are converging, fused-silica lenses.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the focusing lens has a focal length of about 200 mm to about 10 meters.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the aperture-defining element has an aperture ranging from about 0.05 millimeters to about 50 millimeters in diameter.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the aperture-defining element has an aperture ranging from about 0.3 millimeters to about 2 millimeters in diameter.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the aperture-defining element is a tungsten carbide element.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
13 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the aperture-defining element is a diamond cut-out.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
13 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the aperture-defining element is a heat-dissipating metal.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of a claim 1 wherein the imaging lens further provides appropriate magnification to match the clipped beam dimensions with the dimensions of the waveguide.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
43 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the imaging lens has a focal length chosen such that the imaged beam incident on the end face of the waveguide subtends an angle less than a critical angle defined by the numerical aperture of the waveguide.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus further includes an index-matching medium disposed between the imaging lens and the end face of the waveguide.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the imaging lens has a focal length of about 50 mm to about 500 mm.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus further includes an evacuated chamber disposed between the second imaging lens and the end face of the waveguide.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus further includes a fluid-filled chamber disposed between the second imaging lens and the end face of the waveguide.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus further includes a variable diameter waveguide.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
115 words
A method of coupling a high energy laser radiation beam from a laser to an optical waveguide, the method comprising: disposing an aperture-defining element along an optical axis between a high energy laser and a waveguide, such that an aperture on said element permits a central portion of the beam to pass therethrough while a peripheral portion of the beam is clipped, whereby the spatial intensity profile of the beam is flattened; and disposing an imaging lens between the aperture and an end face of the optical waveguide to image the aperture onto the end face and thereby permit a clipped beam of reduced spatial intensity variation from the laser to fill the optical waveguide.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
115 words
A method of coupling a high energy laser radiation beam from a laser to an optical waveguide, the method comprising: disposing an aperture-defining element along an optical axis between a high energy laser and a waveguide, such that an aperture on said element permits a central portion of the beam to pass therethrough while a peripheral portion of the beam is clipped, whereby the spatial intensity profile of the beam is flattened; and disposing an imaging lens between the aperture and an end face of the optical waveguide to image the aperture onto the end face and thereby permit a clipped beam of reduced spatial intensity variation from the laser to fill the optical waveguide.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 17 wherein the method further includes disposing a focusing lens between the laser and the aperture defining element to focus the beam from the laser onto the aperture.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 18 wherein the step of disposing a focusing lens further includes disposing a converging, fused-silica lens.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 18 wherein the step of disposing a focusing lens further includes disposing a lens having a focal length of about 200 mm to about 10 meters.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 17 wherein the step of disposing an aperture-defining element between the laser and the optical fiber further includes disposing an element having an aperture ranging from about 0.05 millimeters to about 50 millimeters in diameter.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 17 wherein the step of disposing an aperture-defining element between the laser and the optical fiber further includes disposing an element having an aperture ranging from about 0.3 millimeters to about 2 millimeters in diameter.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 17 wherein the step of disposing an aperture-defining element further includes disposing an element formed from tungsten carbide.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 17 wherein the step of disposing an aperture-defining element further includes disposing an element formed by a diamond cut out.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 17 wherein the step of disposing an aperture-defining element further includes disposing an element formed from a heat-dissipating metal.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 17 wherein the step of disposing an imaging lens further includes disposing a lens having appropriate magnification to match the clipped beam dimensions with the dimensions of the fiber.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 17 wherein the step of disposing an imaging lens further includes disposing a converging, fused-silica lens.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
52 words
The method of claim 17 wherein the step of disposing an imaging lens further includes disposing a lens having a focal length chosen such that the image being incident on the end face of the fiber subtends an angle less than the critical angle defined by the numerical aperture of the waveguide.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 17 wherein the step of disposing an imaging lens further includes disposing a lens having a focal length ranging from about 50 mm to about 500 mm.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 17 where the method further comprises disposing an index-matching medium between the second imaging lens and the end face of the waveguide.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 17 wherein the method further includes disposing an evacuated chamber between the second imaging lens and the end face of the waveguide.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 17 wherein the method further includes disposing a fluid-filled chamber between the second imaging lens and the end face of the waveguide.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 17 wherein the method further includes employing a variable diameter waveguide at the input end of the optical waveguide.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3705992A
Cited
US4199222A
Cited
US4137060A
Cited
US4193663A
Cited
US4281891A
Cited
US4402569A
Cited
US4521070A
Cited
DE3112167A1
Cited
JPS61122614A
Cited
WO1986003598A1
Cited
US4641912A
Cited
US4732448A
Cited
DE3600713A1
Cited
EP0194841A2
Cited
EP0194842A2
Cited
DE3514374A1
Cited
US4762385A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1992-06-26 | 1992-12-26 | 1993-06-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1996-06-26 | 1996-12-26 | 1997-06-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2000-06-26 | 2000-12-26 | 2001-06-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |