662 results about "Optical table" patented technology

Methods and systems for a light source assembly supporting direct coupling to a photonically enabled complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) chip are disclosed. The assembly may include a laser, a microlens, a turning mirror, reciprocal and / or non-reciprocal polarization rotators, and an optical bench. The laser may generate an optical signal that may be focused utilizing the microlens. The optical signal may be reflected at an angle defined by the turning mirror, and may be transmitted out of the light source assembly to one or more grating couplers in the chip. The laser may include a feedback insensitive laser. The light source assembly may include two electro-thermal interfaces between the optical bench, the laser, and a lid affixed to the optical bench. The turning mirror may be integrated in a lid affixed to the optical bench or may be integrated in the optical bench.

A compact mid-IR laser device utilizes an external cavity to tune the laser. The external cavity may employ a Littrow or Littman cavity arrangement. In the Littrow cavity arrangement, a filter, such as a grating, is rotated to provide wavelength gain medium selectivity. In the Littman cavity arrangement, a reflector is rotated to provide tuning. A quantum cascade laser gain medium provides mid-IR frequencies suitable for use in molecular detection by signature absorption spectra. The compact nature of the device is obtained owing to an efficient heat transfer structure, the use of a small diameter aspheric lens for both the output lens and the external cavity lens and a monolithic assembly structure to hold the optical elements in a fixed position relative to one another. The compact housing size may be approximately 20 cm×20 cm×20 cm or less. Efficient heat transfer is achieved using a thermoelectric cooler TEC combined with a high thermal conductivity heat spreader onto which the quantum cascade laser gain medium is thermally coupled. The heat spreader not only serves to dissipate heat and conduct same to the TEC, but also serves as an optical platform to secure the optical elements within the housing in a fixed relationship relative on one another. The small diameter aspheric output and external cavity lens each may have a diameter of 10 mm or less and each lens is positioned to provided a collimated beam output from the quantum cascade laser gain medium. The housing is hermetically sealed to provide a rugged, light weight portable MIR laser source.

Methods and systems for a light source assembly for coupling to a photonically enabled complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) chip are disclosed. The light source assembly may comprise a laser, a microlens, a turning mirror, and an optical bench, and may generate an optical signal utilizing the laser, focus the optical signal utilizing the microlens, and reflect the optical signal at an angle defined by the turning mirror. The reflected optical signal may be transmitted out of the assembly to grating couplers in the photonically enabled CMOS chip. The assembly may comprise a non-reciprocal polarization rotator, comprising a latching faraday rotator. The assembly may comprise a reciprocal polarization rotator, which may comprise a half-wave plate comprising birefringent materials operably coupled to the optical bench. The turning mirror may be integrated in the optical bench and may reflect the optical signal to transmit through a lid operably coupled to the optical bench.