Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Corporation

Other

Tetsuo Ohara

Xinbing Liu

Ming Li

Rajminder Singh

Jimmy Yi-Jie Jia

Satoshi Yamauchi

An energy collector is used to assist a laser coupling process by reducing the amount of output power of a laser that is used to modify a device attaching element. The energy collector includes an energy collector tip configured to be placed proximate to a device attaching element during the laser coupling process. The energy collector tip is configured to receive laser energy reflected from the device attaching element during the laser coupling process and is formed from a material that converts this reflected energy to heat. Sufficient thermal coupling is created between the energy collector and a surface to provide a conductive pathway for the energy, which has been converted to heat, between the energy collector and the device attaching element.

Energy collection and power reduction in laser coupling process

A multicore optical fiber with an integral diffractive element. The multicore optical fiber includes: a first optical fiber core formed of a non-photosensitive material having an initial index of refraction; and a second optical fiber core including a second longitudinal core axis substantially parallel to the first longitudinal axis. The first optical fiber core includes: a first longitudinal core axis; and a number of index-altered portions having an altered index of refraction which is different from the initial index of refraction. The index-altered portions are arranged within the non-photosensitive material of the first optical fiber core to form a diffractive structure of the integral diffractive element.

Multicore optical fiber with integral diffractive elements machined by ultrafast laser direct writing

An ultrafast laser machining system and method to form diffractive structures in optical fibers. The fiber is mounted with its longitudinal axis perpendicular to the beam path of the laser pulses. A region of the fiber is illuminated and then imaged with two cameras. These cameras are aligned substantially orthogonally. A position of the beam spot is determined. The beam spot is aligned to a starting position within the region. This position is within a portion of the fiber to be machined for which the beam path passes through the greatest length of material. The beam spot is scanned along a path designed to pass the beam spot through all of the portion to be machined such that the beam path does not pass through previously machined material. The laser pulses, which have a duration of less than about 1 ns, are generated as the beam spot is scanned.

Ultrafast laser machining system and method for forming diffractive structures in optical fibers

An elastically deformable transmission member for use in a friction drive system. The elastically deformable transmission member imparts a thrust to a moveable member at an area of contact between the elastically deformable transmission member and the moveable member. Elastic deformation of the elastically deformable transmission member, such as by application of a pre-load force perpendicular to the direction of motion of the moveable member, causes an increase in contact area between the elastically deformable transmission member and the moveable member. The increased contact area reduces stress in the elastically deformable transmission member and the moveable member, reducing wear.

Method and apparatus for a low cost and high force transmission using elastically deformable driving element for friction drive

An improved signal processing method and apparatus are presented for use in real-time sub-nanometer scale position measurements with the aid of probing sensors and/or beams scanning periodically undulating surfaces such as a grating and diffraction patterns generated thereby, and the like, enabling greater sub-nanometer precision, higher stage scanner movement speeds, and simultaneous high accuracy and top speed measuring capabilities.

Signal processing method and apparatus for use in real-time subnanometer scale position measurements with the aid of probing sensors and beams scanning periodically undulating surfaces such as gratings and diffraction patterns generated thereby, and the like

A multimode long period fiber Bragg grating (LPFBG) for a predetermined wavelength band. The LPFBG formed of a non-photosensitive material having an initial index of refraction. The multimode optical fiber core includes a substantially cylindrical surface, a longitudinal core axis, a core radius, and a number of index-altered portions having an altered index of refraction different from the initial cladding index of refraction. Each of the index-altered multimode optical fiber core has a first transmission surface and second transmission surface that is substantially parallel to the first transmission surface. Also, these index-altered portions are arranged within the non-photosensitive material of the multimode optical fiber core such that the first transmission surface of one portion of the plurality of index-altered portions is substantially parallel to the second transmission surface of a neighboring portion to form a long period Bragg grating structure.

Multimode long period fiber bragg grating machined by ultrafast laser direct writing

An optical alignment system for optimizing a gap distance between an optical fiber end and an optical device uses an atomic force present when the gap distance approaches optimal alignment according to changes in an oscillating fiber amplitude at a fiber resonance frequency. A driving force flexurally vibrates the fiber to produce an oscillation of the fiber at a resonance frequency that produces maximal oscillation. A measurement system detects the amplitude shift at the resonance frequency while adjusting the gap distance.

Method and apparatus for determining an optimal gap distance between an optical fiber and an optical device

An optical package suitable for alignment with a conductively coated optical fiber includes a base having an electrode which forms a capacitance with the conductively coated optical fiber. An optical alignment system computes a capacitance measure when the optical fiber is precisely aligned and further after attachment of the fiber to the package causes a misalignment. The capacitance measures at precise alignment and at misalignment allow computation of a displacement amount from the precise alignment in at least one direction. The optical fiber may be adjusted according to the direction and amount provided by the alignment system to reposition the fiber to its precise alignment.

Method and apparatus for integrated optical fiber sensing with nanometer precision

A friction drive including a drive shaft that is in rotational motion and in frictional contact with a follower at a contact area. The drive shaft transfers a thrust at the contact area. The follower receives the thrust and provides motion in response to the thrust. A flexure hinge couples the drive shaft to the follower with a constant force while restraining movement of the contact area in the direction of the thrust.

Method and apparatus for a low cost, high speed, and compact nanometer precision motion stage using friction drive and flexure hinge

A method of and apparatus for producing improved real-time continual nanometer scale positioning data of the location of sensing probe used with one of a scanning tunneling microscope, an atomic force microscope, or a capacitive or magnetic field-sensing system, for measuring the probe distance and the position relative to an atomic surface or other periodically undulating surface such as a grating or the like moving relatively with respect to the probe, and between which and the surface there exists a sensing field, through rapid oscillating of the probe under the control of sinusoidal voltages, and comparison of the phase and/or amplitude of the output sinusoidal voltages produced by current in the sensing field to provide positional signals indicative of the direction and distance off the apex of the nearest atom or undulation of the surface; and, where desired, feeding back such positional signals to control the relative movement of the probe and surface; and wherein improved operation is achieved through one or all of eliminating error caused by phase delays between the sinusoidal voltage driving the probe and its actual oscillation position, particularly when near the probe natural frequency, thereby providing for increased speed, frequency response and reliability; preventing the possible crashing of the probe into the surface and other probe-to-surface gap control problems; providing for absolute positioning; and providing for improved single and multi-probe micromachined probe design particularly of monolithic crystal wafer construction.

Apparatus for and method of real-time nanometer-scale position

A method of and apparatus for producing real-time continual nanometer scale positioning data of the location of sensing probe used with one of a scanning tunneling microscope, an atomic force microscope, or a capacitive or magnetic field-sensing system, for measuring the probe distance and the position relative to an atomic surface or other periodically undulating surface such as a grating or the like moving relatively with respect to the probe, and between which and the surface there exists a sensing field, through rapid oscillating of the probe under the control of sinusoidal voltages, and comparison of the phase and amplitude of the output sinusoidal voltages produced by current in the sensing field to provide positional signals indicative of the direction and distance off the apex of the nearest atom or undulation of the surface; and, where desired, feeding back such positional signals to control the relative movement of the probe and surface.

Growing community of inventors

Sutton, MA, United States of America

Tetsuo Ohara