USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Other

Leslie Brandon Shaw

Jasbinder Singh Sanghera

Ishwar Dayal Aggarwal

Jesse A Frantz

Lynda E Busse

Frederic Hau Kung

Daniel Joseph Gibson

Rafael R Gattass

Jason D Myers

Shyam S Bayya

Jawad Naciri

Pablo C Pureza

Christopher M Spillmann

Robel Y Bekele

Jakub Kolacz

Catalin M Florea

Steven R Bowman

Peter Anthony Thielen

Henry G Gotjen

Jason Auxier

Fred Kung

Banahalli R Ratna

Guillermo R Villalobos

Raymond M Gamache

Brian A Cole

Daniel L Rhonehouse

Robert E Miklos

Menelaos K Poutous

Barry J Feldman

Augustus X Carlson

An antireflection optical element formed from an optical material. The optical material includes a first plurality of antireflective surface structures in the form of first protuberances from the optical material. The first plurality of antireflective surface structures are constructed to aid in transmission of a first wavelength range through the optical material. Also included are a second plurality of antireflective surface structures in the form second protuberances from the first plurality of antireflective surface structures. The second plurality of antireflective surface structures are constructed to aid in transmission a second wavelength range through the optical material. The first wavelength range comprises longer wavelengths than the second wavelength range.

Wideband antireflective surface structures for optics and methods of manufacturing the same

Methods and systems providing laser outputs are disclosed. A first laser input from a first pump laser source has a first average power, and a second laser input from a second pump laser source has a second average power. A first laser output is generated based on conversion of the first laser input and the second laser input at the first state. After generating the first laser output, the second laser input is provided at a second state with the second average power remaining unchanged. After generating the first laser output, a second laser output is generated based on conversion of the first laser input and the second laser input at the second state. Combined powers of the first laser input and the second laser input remain the same when generating the first and second laser outputs, but powers of the first and second laser outputs are different.

Methods of generating laser outputs based on different states of laser inputs and related systems

The invention relates to methods for fabricating antireflective surface structures (ARSS) on an optical element using a seed layer of material deposited on the surface of the optical element. The seed layer is removed during or after the etching, and serves to control etching time as well as the transmission region of the optical element having ARSS. Optical elements having ARSS on at least one surface are also provided.

Seed layer for fabrication of antireflective surface structures on optical elements

A liquid crystal-based non-mechanical beam steering device that permits steering in the mid-wave infrared and has a chalcogenide waveguide. The waveguide core, the subcladding, or both comprise a chalcogenide glass. The liquid crystal-based non-mechanical beam steering device has a tapered subcladding and a liquid crystal layer.

Chalcogenide glass waveguides for refractive non-mechanical beam steerer

The present invention is generally directed to a device comprising multiple specialty glass optical fibers that combines several different mid-infrared optical signals from multiple optical fibers into one signal in a single optical fiber. In addition, the present invention provides for a method of making the device.

Fiber-based mid-IR signal combiner and method of making same

A method for making a chalcogenide glass waveguide in a liquid crystal-based non-mechanical beam steering device that permits steering in the mid-wave infrared. The waveguide core, the subcladding, or both comprise a chalcogenide glass. A mask is used to produce a tapered subcladding. Also disclosed is the related non-mechanical beam steering device that includes a chalcogenide waveguide.

Systems and methods are provided for mechanically encapsulating an infrared transmitting optical fiber, removing any power coupled to the cladding of the infrared optical fiber, and bridging the thermal properties between the optical fiber and the mechanical ferrule used. Embodiments of the present disclosure have several advantages over prior systems. For example, in an embodiment, the transmitting ferrule does not require epoxy to mount the fiber to the ferrule, isolates the front face of the fiber, and allows for high power to be incident on the connector without damage by reducing the thermal induced stress and managing any stray light coupled to the core.

Infrared transmitting epoxyless fiber optic connector and fiber optic cable

A composite and a coating having engineered reflective properties are described. The composite comprises a matrix and flakes of a multilayer polymer film including one or more bilayers including at least a layer of a first polymer and a layer of a second polymer having a different refractive index than the first polymer. The coating described includes the composite as applied to a surface and has a reflectance of at least 10% for a selected wavelength range and a transmittance of at least 50% at wavelengths outside of the selected wavelength range. Also described are methods for forming the composite and the coating.

Composites and coatings containing multilayer polymer flakes for engineered reflective properties

A method for achieving alignment and optical switching of a liquid crystal (LC) layer that is deposited on chalcogenide glass (ChG). Direct brushing of ChG produces an effective LC alignment layer. Also disclosed is the related waveguide assembly for achieving alignment and optical switching of a liquid crystal (LC) layer deposited on chalcogenide glass (ChG).

Liquid crystal alignment on chalcogenide glasses

An optical system having two or more different optical elements with a corresponding interface between the optical elements. At least one of the optical elements has an anti-reflective structure that is transferred to the interface between two optical elements, typically by embossing. Also disclosed is the related method for making the optical system.

Tailored interfaces between optical materials

A system and method for creating an anti-reflective surface structure on an optical device includes a shim including a textured pattern, wherein the shim is configured to stamp the optical device with the textured pattern, a connector configured to place the optical device in proximity to the shim and apply a force to the optical device against the shim, and a laser source configured to heat the optical device by generating and applying a laser beam to the optical device when the optical device is placed in proximity to the shim.

Antireflective surface structures for active and passive optical fiber

A system, method, and helmet includes a collection optic configured to collect light from a scene and create an image; a fiber optic bundle configured to receive the image from the collection optic; an opaque ballistic face shield configured adjacent to the fiber optic bundle; and a projection optic configured to receive the image from the fiber optic bundle and project the image to a viewer. The collection optic includes a field of view (FOV) of greater than 30 degrees, and preferably greater than 50 degrees. The collection optic images the collected light gathered from the scene onto an end of the fiber optic bundle. The fiber optic bundle goes through or around the opaque ballistic face shield. The opaque ballistic face shield is non-electric and includes silicon carbide and polyethylene. In one embodiment, the opaque ballistic face shield includes at least two pounds of silicon carbide and polyethylene.

Fiber optic opaque face shield

Fiber optic amplification in a spectrum of infrared electromagnetic radiation is achieved by creating a chalcogenide photonic crystal fiber (PCF) structure having a radially varying pitch. A chalcogenide PCF system can be tuned during fabrication of the chalcogenide PCF structure, by controlling, the size of the core, the size of the cladding, and the hole size to pitch ratio of the chalcogenide PCF structure and tuned during exercising of the chalcogenide PCF system with pump laser and signal waves, by changing the wavelength of either the pump laser wave or the signal wave, maximization of nonlinear conversion of the chalcogenide PCF, efficient parametric conversion with low peak power pulses of continuous wave laser sources, and minimization of power penalties and minimization of the need for amplification and regeneration of pulse transmissions over the length of the fiber, based on a dispersion factor.

Systems and methods of achieving high brightness infrared fiber parametric amplifiers and light sources

A method of generating ultrashort pulses with wavelengths greater than 2 &#x3bc;m comprising a short pulse diode laser or fiber laser operating at a wavelength of 1 &#x3bc;m or greater with a pulse width of 10 ps or greater, one or more amplification stages to increase the peak power of the pulsed source, a nonlinear fiber stage whereby the dispersion of the nonlinear fiber is anomalous at the pulsed source wavelength such that the fiber breaks up the pulse into a series of sub-ps pulse train through modulation instability which may be seeded by spontaneous noise which are then wavelength shifted in one or more stages by soliton self frequency shift in anomalous dispersion fiber or Raman in normal dispersion fiber and amplified in one or more stages to generate a high peak power ultrashort pulse (&#x3c;1 ps) source at a wavelength of 2.4 &#x3bc;m or greater.

Short pulsed IR fiber laser at wavelength &#x3e; 2 &#x3bc;m

A fiber-end surface structuring chamber or system having a main body with multiple ports including a fiber-holder port, a process port that is either a stamp/shim holder port or a plasma etching enabler port, an evacuation port, a gas delivery port, and one or more observation ports, where the fiber-end surface structuring system forms structures directly into the end of the fiber to enhance transmission of light over a wide range of wavelengths and increase the laser damage threshold.

Growing community of inventors

Woodbridge, VA, United States of America

Leslie Brandon Shaw