University of California

Alan Mar

John E Bowers

Roger Jonathon Helkey

Judy Karin

Gerardo Beni

C John Landry

The mode-locked laser with improved pulse power output can be realized by combining an optical oscillator with a flared CW or modulated gain amplifier. An optical filter or isolator may be disposed between the oscillator and amplifier to avoid feedback of spontaneous noise. A two-segment laser is devised by providing a flared gain section between a modulated gain section and an absorber section within the integrated semiconductor laser. The flared section may taper from a larger modulated gain section to a smaller cross section absorber section or vice versa. Various combinations of absorber sections coupled to modulated gain sections by CW gain or passive flared gain sections may be combined with various arrangements of reflectors and tapered CW gain amplifiers are cascades of such amplifiers and modulated gain pairs. A saturable absorber may be used in a two-segment laser in which the absorber is bleachable and has a characteristic temperature which is increased during short time periods so that a passive gain is realized by the return pulse traveling through the saturable absorber provided that the returning pulse is timed to coincide with the temporal gain realized in the absorber.

Generation of high power optical pulses using flared mode-locked

Method and apparatus for positioning a three-dimensional object at a preselected position within a workstation. An optical system in the apparatus creates a 3-dimensional image of the object at the selected preselected position. An imaging device in the apparatus detects macroscopic features related to the extent of volume overlap between the object and image, and this information is used to direct the object, through a mechanical drive, toward a position of greater volume overlap with the image. In one aspect of the invention, the optical system produces a holographic image, and the imaging device is designed to detect both macroscopic features related to volume overlap, and interference fringes which form when the volume overlap between the image and object is within about 50 microns, providing object positioning to within about 50 microns. The apparatus may further include a system for analyzing the interference fringes, to determine the direction of object movement which increases fringe spacing, allowing volume overlap down to 1-3 microns or less.

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Arcadia, CA, United States of America

Alan Mar