Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Sure Optics, Inc.

Other

Zong-Long Liau

James N Walpole

Dale C Flanders

Frederick J Leonberger

Richard C Williamson

Dean Z Tsang

Jeffrey Farmer

Described herein are methods and systems for the optical imaging of a physical specimen of interest that is in contact with, or in close proximity to, the backplane of a high refractive index solid-immersion lens (SIL), wherein the specimen comprises features of interest that act as a local high-refractive index regions. The SIL lens preferably comprises fiducial markers.

Methods, systems, and devices for super resolution solid immersion lens microscopy

An optical imaging system with microlens array with integral structure includes a microlens array having a back surface for depositing sample material to be imaged and one or more microlenses on a front surface. At least one of the one or more microlenses are aligned to the deposited sample material. A plate is attached to the microlens array. A microscope objective is positioned proximate to the plurality of microlenses.

Optical imaging systems with microlens array with integral structure

A sub-millimeter solid immersion lens (SIL), comprises a body of a high-index material transparent to electromagnetic radiation in a frequency band to be observed, the body having a flat bottom surface which receives an object to be observed, and the body further having a first upper surface whose limits approximate a zone of a spherical segment and a second upper surface defined by an upper bound of the zone of the spherical segment which prevents passage of electromagnetic radiation in the frequency band to be observed. The SIL may be incorporated into an array, according to other aspects. A method of making a SIL comprises: providing a substrate layer of a high-index material transparent to electromagnetic radiation in a frequency band to be observed, having a lower surface through which an object is observed; etching a surface of the substrate layer to form a first upper surface whose limits approximate a zone of a spherical segment; etching a surface of the substrate layer to form a second upper surface; treating the second upper surface to prevent transmission of the electromagnetic radiation in the frequency band to be observed; and treating the lower surface to absorb electromagnetic radiation in the frequency band to be observed, leaving untreated a hole defined therein to form a sampling port at which the object is positioned.

Annular solid immersion lenses and methods of making them

A smooth contoured structure is formed from a planar surface by etching mesas of equal height into the surface and heat treating the structure to mass transport material above the desired contour to fill in voids below the desired contour. In an alternate embodiment, an optical element is formed using a patterned layer of sacrificial material and thermally treating the sacrificial layer to form a precursor contour line. The line is then transformed onto a substrate and smoothed to form the optical element.

Curved surfaces formed by etching and thermal processing

In an apparatus and method for aligning a microlens relative to an edge-emitting semiconductor laser, the components are aligned and coupled without the need for intermediate optics. An edge-emitting semiconductor laser is mounted to a support body which preferably operates as a heat sink. The support body has a side face, which is substantially parallel by the emitting face of the laser. The microlens is formed on a lens substrate. The lens substrate is mounted adjacent the emitting face of the laser and further mounted adjacent the side face of the support body such that the optical axis of the lens substantially aligns with the optical axis of the laser. A substantial portion of the lens substrate extends along the plane of the side face of the support body. The invention has applications in coupling high-power laser energy into fiber optics and in optical computing devices requiring arrays of lasers.

Compact micro-optical edge-emitting semiconductor laser assembly

Method of forming curved surfaces by etching and thermal processing

A method and apparatus for forming a monolithic surface emitting laser diode array by providing vertical partly light transmissive mirror surfaces opposite parabolic light reflective mirror surfaces formed adjacent the active buried layer of a heterostructure diode laser. The mirror surfaces are preferably formed using a mass-transport heating process. Other mirror shapes may be formed in accordance with the invention.

Method of forming a surface emitting laser

A surface emitting laser is described with a monolithic integrated lens formed in one side of an optical semiconductor substrate aligned with a parabolic light reflective mirror surface formed adjacent an edge emitting laser formed on, or in, the other side of the substrate. An optional optical feedback spherical mirror is formed concentric to the lens.

Surface emitting laser with monolithic integrated lens

Surface emitting laser

Method forming surface emitting diode laser

A distributed feedback (DFB) type laser and a method and apparatus for forming same wherein a quaternary semiconductor active lasing strip of material is buried between a substrate of binary compound of one type conductivity material and a mesa binary compound body of opposite type conductivity and a periodic grating structure is etched into the plateau of the mesa. In one embodiment, ohmic contacts are provided on either side of the grating structure and the mesa is undercut adjacent the active strip to partly isolate the ohmic contacts from the homojunction formed when the active strip is buried, preferably using a mass-transport process. In another embodiment, the ohmic contacts are formed on the top of a deeply etched grating structure. A buried layer double heterostructure (DH) laser is also described with DFB grating formed on the side walls of the layer. Additionally, a surface emitting diode laser with DFB is described.

Process for making a mesa GaInAsP/InP distributed feedback laser

A distributed feedback (DFB) type laser and a method and apparatus for forming same wherein a quaternary semiconductor active lasing strip of material is buried between a substrate of binary compound of one type conductivity material and a mesa binary compound body of opposite type conductivity and a periodic grating structure is etched into the plateau of the mesa. In one embodiment, ohmic contacts are provided on either side of the grating structure and the mesa is undercut adjacent the active strip to partly isolate the ohmic contacts from the homojunction formed when the active strip is buried, preferably using a mass-transport process. In another embodiment, the ohmic contacts are formed on the top of a deeply etched grating structure. A buried layer double heterostructure (DH) laser is also described with DFB grating formed on the side walls

GaInAsP/InP distributed feedback laser

Surface emitting diode laser

A method and apparatus is described wherein a buried double heterostructure laser device is formed utilizing epitaxial layers of quaternary III-V alloys of gallium indium arsenide phosphide and wherein the buried layer is formed by first etching the p-type top layer of the structure down to the quaternary active layer forming a mesa. A second etchant is then provided which preferentially etches the active layer. This etchant is used to undercut the top layer by removing the active layer on both sides of the top mesa surface providing a narrow strip of active layer underneath the undercut mesa. The undercut is then filled in by a heat treatment process which results in migration or transport of the binary top layer and binary bottom layer to fill in the undercut, leaving the active layer buried in the binary material. In an alternate embodiment of the invention, the two-step etching process plus the transport phenomena is utilized to form the mirror surface of a laser device. The device may include a support mesa and control mesa structure and may also be used to fabricate optical waveguide structures.

Growing community of inventors

Belmont, MA, United States of America

Zong-Long Liau