US5263039A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
System for generating shaped optical pulses and measuring optical pulses using spectral beam deflection (SBD)
Assignee: University of Rochester
•
Filing: 1992-05-18
•
Granted: 1993-11-16
•
Expires: 2012-05-18
Abstract
Abstract A temporally shaped or modified optical output pulse is generated from a bandwidth-encoded optical input pulse in a system in which the input pulse is in the form of a beam which is spectrally spread into components contained within the bandwidth, followed by deflection of the spectrally spread beam (SBD) thereby spatially mapping the components in correspondence with the temporal input pulse profile in the focal plane of a lens, and by spatially selective attenuation of selected components in that focal plane. The shaped or modified optical output pulse is then reconstructed from the attenuated spectral components. The pulse-shaping system is particularly useful for generating optical pulses of selected temporal shape over a wide range of pulse duration, such pulses finding application in the fields of optical communication, optical recording and data storage, atomic and molecular spectroscopy and laser fusion. An optical streak camera is also provided which uses SBD to display the beam intensity in the focal plane as a function of time during the input pulse.
Inventors
- 👤 Stanley Skupsky
- 👤 Terrance J. Kessler
- 👤 Samuel A. Letzring
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 00:29
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01S; H01S3/00; H01S3/005; H01S3/0057; G; G11; G11B; G11B7/00; G11B7/12; G11B7/125; G11B7/126
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 40
Claim 1
Independent Claim
109 words
A system for characterizing an optical pulse with an intensity and a duration, said system comprising, means for encoding said pulse into a beam having spectral frequency components, the components corresponding to the intensity of said pulse at successive points in time during the duration of said pulse, first spectral beam deflection means for angularly varying said beam from said means for encoding and spatially separating said frequency components thereof, means for focusing said spatially spread frequency components from said first spectral beam deflection means in a focal plane for representing said pulse as a function of intensity of said beam versus time at different locations in said plane.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
109 words
A system for characterizing an optical pulse with an intensity and a duration, said system comprising, means for encoding said pulse into a beam having spectral frequency components, the components corresponding to the intensity of said pulse at successive points in time during the duration of said pulse, first spectral beam deflection means for angularly varying said beam from said means for encoding and spatially separating said frequency components thereof, means for focusing said spatially spread frequency components from said first spectral beam deflection means in a focal plane for representing said pulse as a function of intensity of said beam versus time at different locations in said plane.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
47 words
The system according to claim 1 further comprising means for spectrally filtering said components in said plane, and second spectral beam deflecting means for reconstructing said beam into an output optical pulse having a profile which is a function of the filtering thereof by said filtering means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
79 words
The system according to claim 1 further comprising means, operative on said optical pulse before encoding thereof by said encoding means, for dispersing said beam and said beam deflection means comprises means for correcting said beam dispersed by said dispersing means and angularly varying said beam to spatially separate the spectral components introduced by said encoding means, and means in said focal plane for measuring said beam in accordance with the intensity of said beam at said different locations.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system according to claim 3 wherein said dispersing means and said deflection means each comprise a grating, with said encoding means disposed between said gratings.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
93 words
The system according to claim 4 further comprising a second pair of gratings having second encoding means therebetween, said first pair of gratings and said second pair of grating having lines, said lines of said first and second pairs being transverse to each other, said first and second grating pairs and said encoding means therebetween being disposed along a path along which said beam extends to said focal plane, and the first said second pair of gratings upon which said beam is incident providing dispersion which compensates for the bandwidth of said pulse.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
96 words
A laser pulse shaping system which provides an output pulse of certain temporal intensity profile, which system comprises means for generating a bandwidth-encoded laser beam having spectral components within a certain bandwidth and a varying intensity, spectral beam deflection means for spatially spreading the spectral components contained within the bandwidth of said bandwidth-encoded laser beam pulse, means for spatially selectively attenuating the spatially spread components provided by said deflection means to vary the intensity thereof, and means for reconstructing from the components, provided by said attenuating means said output pulse of said certain temporal intensity profile.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
96 words
A laser pulse shaping system which provides an output pulse of certain temporal intensity profile, which system comprises means for generating a bandwidth-encoded laser beam having spectral components within a certain bandwidth and a varying intensity, spectral beam deflection means for spatially spreading the spectral components contained within the bandwidth of said bandwidth-encoded laser beam pulse, means for spatially selectively attenuating the spatially spread components provided by said deflection means to vary the intensity thereof, and means for reconstructing from the components, provided by said attenuating means said output pulse of said certain temporal intensity profile.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
67 words
The laser pulse shaping system according to claim 6 further comprising means for applying said laser beam to said generating means as an incident input pulse having a certain intensity profile over a certain duration and a certain phase, and wherein said bandwidth-encoding means includes means for providing a monotonic relationship between the encoded phase change and time during the furation of the incident input laser pulse.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
41 words
The laser pulse shaping system according to claim 7 wherein said monotonic relationship providing means is a planar input electro-optic modulator driven by an electrical signal with a substantially monotonically changing signal level during the duration of the incident laser pulse.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
The laser pulse shaping system according to claim 6 wherein said deflection means for spatially spreading said spectral components includes a reflection diffraction grating.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
16 words
The laser pulse shaping system according to claim 6 wherein said deflection means includes a mirror.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
16 words
The laser pulse shaping system according to claim 10 wherein said deflection means includes a lens.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
25 words
The laser pulse shaping system according to claim 6 further comprising means for mapping said spectral components provided by said deflection means in a plane.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
29 words
The laser pulse shaping means according to claim 12 wherein said mapping means comprises a lens having a focal plane which defines said plane wherein said components are mapped.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
48 words
The laser pulse shaping system according to claim 12 wherein said means for spatially selectively attenuating selected components of said mapping comprises an optical mask having a substantially two-dimensional predetermined pattern comprising zones or regions of differing levels of attenuation and being coextensive with said optical mapping plane.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
46 words
The laser pulse shaping system according to claim 14 wherein said laser beam is in the form of an input pulse and said substantially two-dimensional pattern extends spatially in said mapping plane so as to intersect substantially all spread spectral components of said laser input pulse.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
71 words
The laser pulse shaping system according to claim 6 wherein said third means for spatially selectively attenuating selected components includes a substantially two-dimensional array of adjacent polarization-inducing elements, each of said elements providing a level of polarization induction in response to an applied electrical signal level, and a polarization analyzer fixedly positioned with respect to the two-dimensional array on the side of the array facing away from the optical mapping means.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
23 words
The laser pulse shaping system according to claim 16 wherein said two-dimensional array of polarization-inducing elements is an electrically addressable liquid crystal array.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
20 words
The laser pulse shaping system according to claim 6 wherein said second reconstructing means comprises second spectral beam deflection means.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
18 words
The laser pulse shaping system according to claim 18 wherein said second deflection means comprises a second grating.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
31 words
The laser pulse shaping system according to claim 19 wherein said second deflection means also includes a second lens and means defining an optical path between said lens and said grating.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
39 words
The laser pulse shaping system according to claim 6 wherein said reconstructing means includes a first output electro-optic modulator which is driven by an electrical signal with substantially monotonically changing signal level during the duration of the output pulse.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
36 words
The laser pulse shaping system according to claim 21 wherein said generating means includes second electro-optic modulator, and means for driving said first and second modulators with like electrical signals in a 180 degree phase relationship.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
67 words
The laser pulse shaping system according to claim 6 further comprising means for applying said laser beam to said generating means as an incident input pulse having a certain intensity profile over a certain furation and a certain frequency, and wherein said bandwidth-encoding means includes means for providing a monotonic relationship between the encoded frequency change and time during the duration of the incident input laser pulse.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
24 words
The laser pulse shaping system according to claim 6 wherein said deflection means for spatially spreading said spectral components includes a transmission diffraction grating.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
140 words
A laser pulse shaping system which generates a temporally shaped laser output pulse with a second temporal intensity profile from a bandwidth-encoded laser input pulse of a first temporal intensity profile extending from about 0.1 picoseconds to about 5 nanoseconds in temporal duration, which system comprises first means for spatially spreading spectral components contained within the bandwidth of said laser input pulse, second means for optically mapping in a plane the spread spectral components provided by said first means in correspondence with said first temporal intensity profile of said bandwidth-encoded input pulse, third means for spatially selectively attenuating in said plane selected components of said mapping provided by said second means to provide remaining components, and fourth means for reconstructing from the remaining components of said selectively attenuated pulse the temporalloy shaped output pulse of said second temporal intensity profile.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
140 words
A laser pulse shaping system which generates a temporally shaped laser output pulse with a second temporal intensity profile from a bandwidth-encoded laser input pulse of a first temporal intensity profile extending from about 0.1 picoseconds to about 5 nanoseconds in temporal duration, which system comprises first means for spatially spreading spectral components contained within the bandwidth of said laser input pulse, second means for optically mapping in a plane the spread spectral components provided by said first means in correspondence with said first temporal intensity profile of said bandwidth-encoded input pulse, third means for spatially selectively attenuating in said plane selected components of said mapping provided by said second means to provide remaining components, and fourth means for reconstructing from the remaining components of said selectively attenuated pulse the temporalloy shaped output pulse of said second temporal intensity profile.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
21 words
The laser pulse shaping system according to claim 25 wherein said first spatial spreading means includes at least one diffraction grating.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
21 words
The laser pulse shaping system according to claim 25 wherein said second optical means includes a lens with a focal plane.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
39 words
The laser pulse shaping system according to claim 25 wherein said third includes an optical mask having a substantially two-dimensional predetermined pattern comprising zones or regions of differing levels of attenuation and being coextensive with said optical mapping plane.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
67 words
The laser pulse shaping system according to claim 25 wherein said third means is a substantially two-dimensional array of adjacent polarization-inducing liquid crystal elements, each of said elements providing a level of polarization induction in response to an applied electrical signal level, and a polarization analyzer fixedly positioned with respect to the two-dimensional array on the side of the array facing away from the optical mapping means.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
20 words
The laser pulse shaping system according to claim 25 wherein said fourth means includes a lens and a diffraction grating.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
171 words
A laser pulse shaping system which generates a laser output pulse shaped in two orthogonal directions from a bandwidth-encoded laser input pulse, which system comprises first means for spatially spreading spectral components contained within the bandwidth of said laser input pulse in a first direction, second means for optically mapping in a first plane said first-direction spread spectral components, third means for spatially selectively attenuating in said first plane selected components of said first-direction spread spectral components, fourth means for reconstructing from the remaining first-direction components a first-direction shaped laser output pulse, fifth means for spatially spreading spectral components of said first-direction shaped laser output pulse in a second direction orthogonal to that first direction, sixth means for optically mapping in a second plane said second-direction spread spectral components, seventh means for spatially selectively attenuating in said second plane selected components of said second-direction spread spectral components, and eighth means for reconstructing from the remaining second-direction components a laser output pulse shaped in said second direction and in said first direction.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
171 words
A laser pulse shaping system which generates a laser output pulse shaped in two orthogonal directions from a bandwidth-encoded laser input pulse, which system comprises first means for spatially spreading spectral components contained within the bandwidth of said laser input pulse in a first direction, second means for optically mapping in a first plane said first-direction spread spectral components, third means for spatially selectively attenuating in said first plane selected components of said first-direction spread spectral components, fourth means for reconstructing from the remaining first-direction components a first-direction shaped laser output pulse, fifth means for spatially spreading spectral components of said first-direction shaped laser output pulse in a second direction orthogonal to that first direction, sixth means for optically mapping in a second plane said second-direction spread spectral components, seventh means for spatially selectively attenuating in said second plane selected components of said second-direction spread spectral components, and eighth means for reconstructing from the remaining second-direction components a laser output pulse shaped in said second direction and in said first direction.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
34 words
The laser pulse shaping system according to claim 31 wherein said first and said fifth spatial spreading means are identical optical diffraction grating with their respective lines of periodicity positioned orthogonally to each other.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
70 words
The laser pulse shaping system according to claim 31 wherein said first-plane an said second-plane optical mapping means are provided by cylindrical lenses, each with a focal plane, with the central axis of the first-plane lens being parallel to the lines of periodicity of the first spatial spreading grating and with central axis of the second-plane lens being parallel to the lines of periodicity of the second spatial spreading grating.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
56 words
The laser pulse shaping system according to claim 31 wherein said third and said seventh spatially selective attenuating means are masks positioned coextensively with the respective focal planes of the first-plane lens and the second-plane lens, and wherein each attenuating means has a substantially two-dimensional predetermined pattern comprising zones or regions of differing levels of attenuation.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
47 words
The laser pulse shaping system according to claim 31 wherein said fourth reconstruction means includes a cylindrical recollimation lens with a central axis parallel to the central axis of the first-plane optical mapping lens, and followed by a diffraction grating identical to said first spatial spreading grating.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
47 words
The laser pulse shaping system according to claim 31 wherein said eighth reconstruction means includes a cylindrical recollimation lens with a central axis parallel to the central axis of the second-plane optical mapping lens, and followed by a diffraction grating identical to said fifth spatial spreading grating.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US5048029A
Cited
US5095487A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1996-11-15 | 1997-05-17 | 1997-11-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2000-11-15 | 2001-05-17 | 2001-11-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2004-11-15 | 2005-05-17 | 2005-11-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |