DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 2, and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Pask et al. (US PG Pub 2012/0263196 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Pask discloses an apparatus for emitting electromagnetic radiation (50, FIG. 1B, [0119]), comprising:
a gain element (20, FIG. 1B, [0106] and [0119]);
an optical arrangement (FIG. 1) defining a resonator (15, FIG. 1B, [0119]) and arranged to re-direct radiation emitted by the gain element along a beam path back onto the gain element (FIG. 1B), the optical arrangement comprising an output coupler (13, FIG. 1B, where “a different resonator reflector (e.g. reflector 13) may alternatively be configured as an output reflector,” [0106]) configured to couple radiation produced by the gain element out of the resonator;
a pump arrangement (17, FIG. 1B, [0119]) configured to pump the gain element;
wherein the optical arrangement further comprises a passive device (51/52, FIG. 1B, [0119]) placed in the resonator in the beam path, the passive device having at least two surface portions at an angle to each other (FIG. 1B), wherein the passive device is arranged to direct first radiation portions (53, FIG. 1B, [0119]) and second radiation portions of the radiation (54, FIG. 1B, [0119]), which first and second radiation portions are incident on different ones of the surface portions, to be spatially separated (“The dispersive element spatially disperses resonating light in the resonator cavity of different wavelengths/frequencies to create a plurality of spatially separated resonating beams 53, 54 and 55,” [0119]).
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Regarding claim 2, Pask discloses the gain element is a laser gain element ([0119]), and wherein the output coupler is configured to couple a portion of the radiation in the resonator out of the resonator (via 13, FIG. 1B, [0106]).
Regarding claim 14, Pask discloses an adjustment mechanism (53a/54a/55a, FIG. 1B, [0119]) for adjusting a position of the passive device relative to other components of the optical arrangement, whereby a difference between optical beam path lengths of the first radiation portion and of the second radiation portion is adjustable.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-9 and 12-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over LANCASTER et al. (US PG Pub 2020/0006912 A1) in view of DE3841045A1 (hereafter DE’045).
Regarding claim 1, LANCASTER discloses an apparatus for emitting electromagnetic radiation (10, FIG. 1, [0062]), comprising:
a gain element (32, FIG. 1, [0065]);
an optical arrangement (FIG. 1) defining a resonator (35/37, FIG. 1, [0063]-[0064]) and arranged to re-direct radiation emitted by the gain element along a beam path back onto the gain element (FIG. 1), the optical arrangement comprising an output coupler (56, FIG. 1, [0072]) configured to couple radiation produced by the gain element out of the resonator;
a pump arrangement (45, FIG. 1, [0070]) configured to pump the gain element;
wherein the optical arrangement further comprises a passive device (58/60, FIG. 1, [0076]) placed in the resonator in the beam path, wherein the passive device is arranged to direct first radiation portions (20, FIG. 1, [0062]) and second radiation portions (22, FIG. 1, [0062]) of the radiation, which first and second radiation portions are incident on different ones of the surface portions, to be spatially separated (“Each of the plurality of optical combs 20,22 are spatially spaced apart at the mode-locking device,” [0074]).
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LANCASTER does not disclose the passive device having at least two surface portions at an angle to each other.
DE’045 discloses a laser resonator (10, FIG. 1) comprising a biprism (22, FIG. 1) which deflects the laser beam to be arranged in the resonator in order to homogenise the intensity distribution over the cross-section of a laser beam (see abstract), wherein the biprism includes at least two surface portions at an angle to each other (FIG. 1).
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It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the passive device of LANCASTER with the biprism having at least two surface portions at an angle to each other as taught by DE’045 in order to homogenise the intensity distribution over the cross-section of a laser beam.
Regarding claim 2, LANCASTER discloses the gain element is a laser gain element ([0065]), and wherein the output coupler is configured to couple a portion of the radiation in the resonator out of the resonator ([0072]).
Regarding claim 3, the combination has disclosed the gain element outlined in the rejection to claim 1 above except the gain element is a nonlinear optical gain medium generating radiation at a different frequency from a pump frequency, such as an optical parametric amplification medium, and wherein the output coupler is configured to couple a portion of the radiation in the resonator out of the resonator or is configured to couple idler radiation produced, in the gain element, by optical parametric amplification out of the resonator. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the gain element of the combination with a nonlinear optical gain medium generating radiation at a different frequency from a pump frequency, such as an optical parametric amplification medium in order to obtain a wide range of tunable wavelengths, since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416.
Regarding claim 4, LANCASTER discloses the optical arrangement comprises a mode locker (50, FIG. 1, [0074]) placed in the resonator in the beam path, whereby the first and second radiation portions form a first and second mode-locked pulsed beam (FIG. 1).
Regarding claim 5, LANCASTER discloses the mode locker is a passive mode locker ([0074]).
Regarding claim 6, LANCASTER discloses the mode locker comprises a saturable absorber ([0074]).
Regarding claim 7, LANCASTER discloses the saturable absorber is integrated in a layered semiconductor structure that acts as a reflector for the radiation in the resonator (50 acts as an end reflector for 35/37, FIG. 1).
Regarding claim 8, LANCASTER discloses the first radiation portion and the second radiation portion are incident on spatially separated spots on the mode locker (FIG. 1).
Regarding claim 9, LANCASTER discloses the first and second radiation portions interact with the gain element at different first and second positions (24/26, FIG. 1, [0065]).
Regarding claim 12, LANCASTER, as modified, discloses the passive device is a single monolithic element (FIG. 1 of DE’045).
Regarding claim 13, LANCASTER, as modified, discloses the passive device is a biprism or an axicon (FIG. 1 of DE’045).
Regarding claim 14, LANCASTER discloses an adjustment mechanism (“Tuning Δf.sub.r is possible by slightly adjusting the alignment of optical components,” [0083]) for adjusting a position of the passive device relative to other components of the optical arrangement, whereby a difference between optical beam path lengths of the first radiation portion and of the second radiation portion is adjustable.
Regarding claim 15, LANCASTER discloses the first and second radiation portions share the same elements of the optical arrangement by every element of the optical arrangement interacting with both radiation portions (FIG. 1).
Claims 10-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over LANCASTER et al. and DE’045 as applied to claim 9 above, and further in view of Link et al. (US PG Pub 2017/0310072 A1).
Regarding claim 10, the combination has disclosed the pump arrangement outlined in the rejection to claim 9 above except the pump arrangement comprises an optical pump configured to generate a pumping radiation and to direct the pumping radiation onto the gain element, wherein the pump arrangement comprises a beam splitter for splitting the pumping radiation between a portion incident on the first position and a portion incident on the second position. Link discloses the pump arrangement comprises an optical pump (21, FIG. 1, [0071]) configured to generate a pumping radiation (20, FIG. 1, [0071]) and to direct the pumping radiation onto the gain element (2, FIG. 1, [0071]), wherein the pump arrangement comprises a beam splitter (23, FIG. 1, [0071]) for splitting the pumping radiation between a portion (20.1, FIG. 1, [0071]) incident on the first position and a portion (20.2, FIG. 1, [0071]) incident on the second position. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the pump arrangement of the combination with an optical pump comprising a beam splitter for splitting the pumping radiation between a portion incident on the first position and a portion incident on the second position as taught by Link in order to reduce overall pump noise.
Regarding claim 11, the combination, as modified, discloses a transfer function from pump intensity noise to radiation portion noise are the same for each radiation portion (it’s implicitly taught by having a single pump source, FIG. 1 of Link).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Scaggs (US PG Pub 2003/0227956 A1) discloses an intra-cavity beam homogenizer resonator comprising an intra-cavity biprism homogenizer similar to the claimed invention (see FIGS. 1-3).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YUANDA ZHANG whose telephone number is (571)270-1439. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10:30 AM - 6:30 PM.
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/YUANDA ZHANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2828
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