United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force

USA as Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Leidos, Inc.

Azimuth Corporation

Gary R Cook

Dean R Evans

Ronald W Stites

Victor Yu Reshetnyak

Anatoly Gluschenko

Sergey A Basun

Craig Horton

Teddy L Pickett

Sean A McDaniel

Victor Yurievich Reshetnyak

Jackie Barnes

A doped substrate having a substrate comprising at least one of a glass material, a single crystal material, a poly-crystalline material, a ceramic material, or a semiconductor material. The doped substrate includes a dopant comprising one or more transition metals, one or more rare earth elements, or a combination of both, the doped substrate characterized in that a spectral laser output of the doped substrate exhibits a nominally single frequency having a linewidth less than about 5 nm.

Doped or alloyed materials and hot isostatic pressing method of making same

A method of forming a doped substrate comprises heating a substrate comprising a layer of a dopant on at least one surface to a predetermined temperature; applying a predetermined degree of isostatic external pressure on the surface of said substrate at said predetermined temperature for a time sufficient to induce thermal migration of the dopant into the substrate to provide a doped substrate; and removing the isostatic pressure and cooling the doped substrate to about room temperature. The substrate is a glass material, a single crystal material, a poly-crystalline material, a ceramic material, or a semiconductor material, and the substrate may be optically transparent. The dopant comprises one or more transition metals, one or more rare earth elements, or a combination of both. The layer of a dopant comprises one or more segregated layers of distinct chemical species. The isostatic pressure and elevated temperature may be applied simultaneously or sequentially.

Doped materials/alloys and hot isostatic pressing method of making same

A method of treating a substrate comprises applying an electric field to a substrate comprising a layer of a dopant on at least one surface; applying a predetermined temperature to the substrate in the electric field; applying the electric field and the predetermined temperature for a time sufficient to induce migration of the dopant into the substrate to provide a doped substrate; and removing the electric field and returning the doped substrate to about room temperature, wherein the doped substrate is characterized in that a spectral laser output of the doped substrate exhibits a nominally single frequency having a linewidth less than about 5 nm. The substrate may be a glass material, a single crystal material, a poly-crystalline material, a ceramic material, or a semiconductor material, which may be optically transparent. Before treatment, the substrate may be an undoped substrate or a doped substrate.

Electrically-processed laser and scintillator materials

Systems and methods for employing an electro-optic and photoconductive optical element operating in combination with a polarizer and 100% reflective mirrors to passively control dumping of power from a resonator. The optical element may be constructed of electro-optic material (e.g., Bismuth Silicon Oxide (BSO), Bismuth Germanium Oxide (BGO)), the refractive index of which may be altered by the application of an externally applied electric field. The presence of incident light changes the photoconductivity of the optical element and, therefore, also changes the polarization state of the light passing through the optical element. When combined with a conventional polarizer, the device acts as a self-triggering optical valve to suddenly divert the path of light within a laser to outside of the normal resonator path. Optical power that has been stored inside the laser resonator is then dumped out of the laser in a single, very-high power pulse.

Passively cavity-dumped laser apparatus, system and methods

Optical furnace

Solid state lasers emitting at first and a second wavelengths include an additional a conversion amplifier for converting photons having the first wavelength into photons having the second wavelength, thereby improving output efficiency of a preferred wavelength. Erbium lasing materials such as erbium doped garnets and fluorides, are employed, along with the conversion amplifier formed of a transition metal doped II-VI semiconductor, e.g., Cr:ZnSe.

Emission conversion amplifier for solid state lasers

A universal polarization converter is provided including a polarizer configured to receive unpolarized light. The polarizer is further configured to split the received unpolarized light into a first and second polarized state. At least two quarter wave phase retarders are configured to convert each of the first and second polarized states to opposite handed polarized beams. A cholesteric mirror is configured to combine the opposite handed polarized beams. In other embodiments, the cholesteric mirror may be replaced by a second polarizer and optional quarter wave retardation plate. Further embodiments may include a single polarization converter and multiple quarter wave retardation plates.

Universal polarization converter

An optical filter or valve comprises autonomously tunable liquid crystal filters in which photoactivated materials such as a photoconductive and photovoltaic substrates or films are used to produce or control application of an electric field to a liquid crystal material to tune the liquid crystal material to the wavelength of the incident light or radiation that is illuminating the filter thereby enabling the filter to automatically and autonomously filter the incident light or radiation.

Autonomously tuning photoconductive and photovoltaic light valves

The present invention provides a photorefractive hybrid cell including a window and a gain media disposed adjacent the window. The gain media includes nanoparticles therein. The window includes a material that forms a space-charge field. The gain media includes a material having refractive index properties that depend on an electric field. The nanoparticles include a coating which may include birefringent or polar molecules, other nanoparticles, organic material, or inorganic material.

Nanoparticle doped hybrid photorefractives

Methods for preparing ferroelectric nanoparticles, liquid crystal compositions containing the ferroelectric nanoparticles, and electronic devices utilizing the ferroelectric nanoparticles are described. The methods of preparing the ferroelectric nanoparticles may include size-reducing a starting material comprising particles of a bulk intrinsically nonferroelectric glass to form glass nanoparticles having an average size of less than 20 nm, the glass nanoparticles comprising ferroelectric nanoparticles. Exemplary bulk intrinsically nonferroelectric glasses may include borosilicate glasses, tellurite glasses, bismuthate glasses, gallate glasses, and mixtures thereof, for example. The size reduction may be accomplished using ball milling with a solvent combination such as n-heptane and oleic acid. Liquid crystal compositions may include the ferroelectric nanoparticles in combination with a liquid crystal. Exemplary electronic devices include liquid crystal displays, in which a liquid crystal composition containing the ferroelectric nanoparticles is disposed adjacent a window material.

Ferroelectric glass nanoparticles, liquid-crystal compositions, and electronic devices containing the nanoparticles

Methods are disclosed for separating and harvesting very small single domain ferroelectric nanoparticles by application of a non-uniform electric or magnetic field gradient. The disclosed methods enable collection of nanoparticles with permanent strong dipole moments for use in a wide variety of applications with greatly improved results.

Harvesting single domain nanoparticles and their applications

The present invention provides a photorefractive hybrid cell including a window and a gain media disposed adjacent the window. The gain media includes nanoparticles therein. The window includes a material that forms a space-charge field. The gain media includes a material having refractive index properties that depend on an electric field. The nanoparticles include a material which responds orientationally to the presence of an electric or magnetic field.

Nanoparticle doped hybrid photoreactives

The present invention provides a method for adjusting a diffraction grating to changes in ambient conditions. The method includes writing a diffraction grating in the photorefractive waveguide with a laser, measuring spectral characteristics of the diffraction grating, and allowing the diffraction grating to self-write from interference between a forward beam and a Fresnel reflection, such that the diffraction grating is adjusted for changes in ambient conditions.

Growing community of inventors

Ventura, CA, United States of America

Gary R Cook