Government of the United States of America, As Represented by the Secretary of Commerce

Other

Teem Photonics, S.a.

Schott Glass Technologies, Inc.

U.S. Department of Commerce

U.S. Department of Commerce National Institutes of Standards and Technology

David L Veasey

Joseph S Hayden

Norman A Sanford

David S Funk

Sally Pucilowski

Donald Larson

Mark P Bendett

The invention is directed to optical devices comprising a solid-state structured glass substrate having at least one waveguide incorporated therein, particularly waveguides and lasers incorporating such structure. The invention is also directed to methods for modifying such devices and their properties. The waveguides and lasers of the invention provide advantageous high power and increased slope efficiency and find use, for example, in telecommunications applications.

Optical waveguides on glass substrates and lasers formed therefrom

Apparatus and method for integrating lasers and optics on glass substrates. An optical (e.g., laser) component formed from a glass substrate doped with a optically active lanthanides species with a plurality of waveguides defined by channels within the substrate. The laser component optionally includes a monolithic array of individual waveguides in which the waveguides form laser resonator cavities with differing resonance characteristics. Another aspect is directed toward pumping the laser wherein a superstrate waveguide cavity, or cladding, Ls positioned adjacent the substrate waveguide for supplying the latter with pump light. A closed crucible processing of optical waveguides on a glass substrate is also described. Waveguides are created by exposing a surface of the substrate to an ion-exchange solvent (e.g., a molten salt). A tightly sealed multi-part crucible is provided in order that gas does not leak in or out of the crucible during cooling or heating of the system.

Rare-earth doped phosphate-glass lasers and associated methods

Methods and apparatus for optical Stokes polarimetry are provided. A polarimeter according to this invention includes a rotatable waveplate, including a variable birefringent material, and a polarizer optically downstream from the waveplate. The polarimeter can be integrated into a guided wave structure.

Fast optical stokes polarimeter

Method to optimize rare earth content for waveguide lasers and amplifiers

High-power waveguide lasers

Ion exchange technology for fabrication of waveguide source lasers

An apparatus and method for down-stream plasma processing (both etching and plasma enhanced deposition) are disclosed wherein only a portion of the surface area of a substrate is exposed to the low pressure, reactive gaseous processing environment. The remainder of the substrate remains outside a small enclosed processing area, thus leaving these areas unexposed to the processing agents and providing physical access for monitoring equipment or the like, for example when in-situ monitoring during processing is desired. Etch rates of up to 6 .mu.m/h have been obtained.

Localized plasma processing

Growing community of inventors

Boulder, CO, United States of America

David L Veasey