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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore:
the square shape of the refraction and reflection optical path, as per claim 2,
the prims A, the parallelogramic prism and the prism B fit with each other from top to bottom in sequence, as per claim 3.
must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 objected to because of the following informalities
Claim 1 uses the terms “S-polarized laser” and a “P-polarized laser”. It should read “S-polarized laser light” and “P-polarized laser light”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 4-6, and 8-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang (Foreign Patent CN-114421269-A) in the view of Wu (Foreign Patent CN-101424762-A), hereinafter Wu, and Wen (US Patent US-20160238369-A1), hereinafter Wen.
Regarding claim 1, Zhang teaches an intracavity frequency doubling fiber laser (Fig. 3 low-noise cavity-frequency doubling laser ) includes
pump sources (Fig. 3 pump sources 113 & 106), optical beam combiners (Fig. 3 combiners 114 and 105) and a bidirectional optical amplifier (Fig. 3 gain fiber 104 is bidirectional, see page 5 last paragraph of the translated document);
a first fiber collimator (Fig. 3 collimator 103), a polarizer (Fig. 2 polarizer splitting 102), a laser frequency doubling device (Fig. 3 frequency doubling crystal 111) and a laser cavity mirror (Fig. 3 mirror 112), being arranged on one side of the bidirectional optical amplifier along an optical path in sequence (Fig. 3 polarizer splitting 102, frequency doubling 111 and mirror 112 being arranged in the left side of amplifier 104 along the path sequence, see page 9 paragraph 1 and annotated figure 3);
a second fiber collimator (Fig. 3 collimator 107), a second optical polarization rotating device (Fig. 3 polarization rotation 108), and a reflection device (Fig. 3 mirror 109) being arranged on the other side of the bidirectional optical amplifier along the optical path in sequence (Fig. 3 polarization rotation 108 and mirror 109 being arranged in the right side of amplifier 104 along the path sequence);
the second optical polarization rotating devices being configured to rotate fundamental frequency laser with a polarization direction of 450 (Fig. 3 polarization rotation 108 rotate fundamental frequency laser with a polarization direction of 450, see page 9 paragraph 1 “Faraday rotator 108, the polarization direction of the S-polarized light along the transmission direction to clockwise -or anticlockwise- rotating 45 degrees angle incident to the second holophote 109”);
the laser frequency doubling device (Fig. 3 frequency doubling crystal 111) being configured to convert the fundamental frequency laser with a frequency of w into frequency-doubled laser with a frequency of 2w (see page 4 paragraph 3 “a laser frequency conversion device for changing the frequency of the fundamental frequency laser with the frequency to be 2ω to the frequency doubling laser with the frequency of 2ω;”);
pump light generated by the pump sources (Fig. 3 pump sources 113 & 106 generates pump light) being coupled to the bidirectional optical amplifier by the optical beam combiners (Fig. 3 pump light from 113 & 106 are being coupled to gain 104 by combiners 114 and 105), and
the bidirectional optical amplifier (Fig. 3 gain 104) absorbs the pump light and generates, amplifies and outputs the fundamental frequency laser (see page 8 last paragraph);
the fundamental frequency laser output from one side of the bidirectional optical amplifier (Fig. 3 left side of 104) enters the first optical polarization rotating device to be rotated with a polarization direction of 450 in a non-reciprocal manner after being collimated by the first fiber collimator, and then enters the polarizer (Fig. 3 output of 104 is being collimated by collimator 103 and then enters polarizer 102);
the fundamental frequency laser that has been polarized in the same direction as a transmission axis direction of the polarizer (Fig. 3 output of 104 is being polarized by 102 in the same direction as a transmission axis “y” see annotated figure below) enters the laser frequency doubling device through the polarizer (Fig. 3 polarized light from 102 enters frequency doubling crystal 111);
part of polarized fundamental frequency laser therein is converted into frequency-doubled laser (page 9 first paragraph states “frequency doubling crystal 111 of frequency doubling conversion process is not 100 % of the conversion”; hence portion of the polarized frequency laser is converted into frequency doubled laser), and
polarized fundamental frequency laser which is not converted into the frequency- doubled laser is reflected back by the laser cavity mirror along the original optical path (page 9 first paragraph states “S polarization fundamental frequency laser and polarization frequency doubling laser not processed by frequency doubling are reflected by the third total reflection mirror 112 according to the original light path, after the frequency doubling crystal 111 is incident to the dichroic mirror 110”; see path sequence in annotated figure 3 below), and
then enters the bidirectional optical amplifier (page 9 first paragraph states “the S polarization fundamental frequency laser reflected by the third total reflection mirror 112 is reflected by the polarization dispersion prism 102, orderly passing through the first optical fiber collimator 103, the gain fiber 104,”);
the fundamental frequency laser output from the other side of the bidirectional optical amplifier (Fig. 3 output of right side of 104) being collimated by the second fiber collimator (Fig. 3 output of right side of 104 is being collimated by 107, see page 9 first paragraph),
then enters the second optical polarization rotating device (Fig. 3 light from 107 enters the Faraday rotator 108 ), rotated with a polarization direction of 450 (Fig. 3 Faraday rotator 108 rotates with a polarization direction of 450 light from 107, see page 1 first column) in the non-reciprocal manner (page 1 first paragraph states “Faraday rotator 108 for the polarization direction of the base frequency laser for non-reciprocable rotation”), and
then enters the reflection device in the incident manner (Fig. 3 light from 108 enters mirror 109 in an incident matter); and
it is reflected back by the reflection device to the second optical polarization rotating device (page 9 paragraph 1 states “the polarized light after the rotation is reflected by the second holophote 109 and returns to the Faraday rotator 108”), rotated with a polarization direction of 450 in the non-reciprocal manner again (from page 9 first paragraph “Faraday rotator 108 after the second holophote 109 after reflecting the polarized light continuously along the transmission direction clockwise -or anticlockwise- rotating the 45 degrees angle”), and then enters the bidirectional optical amplifier through the second fiber collimator in sequence (page 9 paragraph 1 states “light is transmitted again in the laser cavity path according to the light path”; hence light enters 104 through 107);.
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Zhang fails to teach a first optical polarization rotating device being arranged on one side of the bidirectional optical amplifier; a polarization beam splitting device being arranged on the other side of the bidirectional optical amplifier; the first optical polarization rotating devices being configured to rotate fundamental frequency laser with a polarization direction of 450 in a nonreciprocal manner; the polarization beam splitting device being configured to split the fundamental frequency laser into an S-polarized laser and a P-polarized laser; the fundamental frequency laser output from one side of the bidirectional optical amplifier enters the first optical polarization rotating device to be rotated with a polarization direction of 450 in a non-reciprocal manner after being collimated; polarized fundamental frequency laser which is not converted into the frequency- doubled laser is reflected back reflected reaches the first optical polarization rotating device in the incident manner after passing through the laser frequency doubling device and the polarizer in sequence, rotated with a polarization direction of 450 in the non-reciprocal manner; the fundamental frequency laser output from the other side of the bidirectional optical amplifier enters the polarization beam splitting device in the incident manner after being collimated by the second fiber collimator; the fundamental frequency laser output from the other side of the bidirectional optical amplifier is being transmitted through the polarization beam splitting device; the fundamental frequency laser output from the other side of the bidirectional optical amplifier reflected by the reflection device enters the bidirectional optical amplifier through the polarization beam splitting device; the frequency-doubled laser is output from the laser cavity mirror.
However, Wu teaches a polarizer (Fig. 6 polarizer 301), a first optical polarization rotating device (Fig. 6 Faraday rotator 302) configure to rotate fundamental frequency laser with a polarization direction of 450 (Fig. 6 Faraday rotator 302 rotates light with a polarization direction of 450, see page 3 paragraph 6), the back the back light path of reflected light again passes through the Faraday rotator 302 and is rotated 45 degrees again (see page 3 paragraph 2).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to prior to the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Zhang’s device with an optical polarization rotating device (e.g. placing a Faraday rotator 302 from Wu between polarizer 102 and collimator 103 from Zhang so that light coming from left side of gain fiber 104 gets rotated with polarization direction of 450 and polarized fundamental frequency laser which is not converted into the frequency- doubled laser and being reflected back by 112 gets rotated again) as taught by Wu because it would allow to have a good radiating performance and low cost (from Wu abstract).
Zhang’s device modified above failed to teach a polarization beam splitting device being arranged on the other side of the bidirectional optical amplifier; the polarization beam splitting device being configured to split the fundamental frequency laser into an S-polarized laser and a P-polarized laser; the fundamental frequency laser output from the other side of the bidirectional optical amplifier enters the polarization beam splitting device in the incident manner after being collimated by the second fiber collimator; the fundamental frequency laser output from the other side of the bidirectional optical amplifier is being transmitted through the polarization beam splitting device; the fundamental frequency laser output from the other side of the bidirectional optical amplifier reflected by the reflection device enters the bidirectional optical amplifier through the polarization beam splitting device.
However, Wen teaches a polarization beam splitting device (Fig. 4 first polarization splitter 07) being configured to split the fundamental frequency laser into an S-polarized laser and a P-polarized laser (Fig. 4 polarizer splitter 07 separates S and P polarize light, as seen in the figure); laser light is from the laser cavity mirror (Fig. 4 half reflector mirror 23 outputs the P light).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to prior to the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Zhang’s modified device in the view of Wu with a polarization beam splitting device as taught by Wen (e.g having first polarization splitter 07 from Wen between collimator 107 and Faraday rotator 108 from Zhang so that the fundamental frequency laser output from the right side of the gain 104 enters the polarization beam splitting device in the incident manner after being collimated by 107 ; the fundamental frequency laser output from the right side of the gain 104 being transmitted through the polarization beam splitting device; and the fundamental frequency laser output from right side of the gain 104 reflected by 109 enters gain 104 through the polarization beam splitting device) as well as having the frequency-doubled laser is output from the laser cavity mirror (e.g. having mirror 112 from Zhang as a half-reflector mirror as taught by Wen and incorporating a photodetector 11 from Wen) because having a polarizer splitting would allow to provide a sensor based on laser that improves sensitivity, accuracy, and robustness for measuring the small changes in a variety of physical quantities (from Wen see abstract) and having frequency-doubled laser being output by the laser cavity mirror would allow to partially output the light for interference detection (from Wen paragraph [0018]).
Regarding claim 4, Zhang’s modified device teaches the intracavity frequency doubling fiber laser according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second optical polarization rotating devices includes a Faraday rotator (from Zhang 108 is a Faraday rotator and from Wu 302 is a Faraday rotator too).
Regarding claim 5, Zhang’s modified device teaches the intracavity frequency doubling fiber laser according to claim 1, wherein the pump sources (from Zhang Fig. 3 pump sources 113 and 106), the optical beam combiners (from Zhang Fig. 3 combiners 114 and 105) and the bidirectional optical amplifier (from Zhang Fig. 3 gain fiber 104) form forward pumping or backward pumping or bidirectional pumping (from Zhang Fig. 3 form a bidirectional pumping, see page 6 paragraph 4).
Regarding claim 6, Zhang’s modified device teaches the intracavity frequency doubling fiber laser according to claim 1, wherein the polarizer is a Gran Polarizer or a polarization beam splitter (from Zhang 102 is a polarization beam splitter).
Regarding claim 8, Zhang’s modified device teaches the intracavity frequency doubling fiber laser according to claim 1, wherein the polarization beam splitting device is a polarization beam splitter set (from Wen first polarization splitting 07 is a polarization beam splitter unit, see [0018], therefore is a polarization beam splitter set) or a pure YVO4 crystal.
Regarding claim 9, Zhang’s modified device teaches the intracavity frequency doubling fiber laser according to claim 1, wherein the bidirectional optical amplifier (from Zhang Fig. 3 gain fiber 104) includes a gain fiber provided (104 is a gain fiber) with gain ions, and the gain ions include any one or more of neodymium ions, erbium ions, germanium ions, praseodymium ions, holmium ions, europium ions, ytterbium ions, dysprosium ions and thulium ions (from Zhang page 7 paragraph 3 states “the gain fiber 104 may be provided with a gain ion, the gain ion may include neodymium ion, erbium ion, germanium ion, praseodymium ion, holmium ion, europium ion, ytterbium ion, dysprosium ion, thulium ion in the any one kind of or more”).
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang (Foreign Patent CN-114421269-A) in the view of Wu (Foreign Patent CN-101424762-A), and Wen (US Patent US-20160238369-A1), as per claim 1, in further view of Zu (Foreign Patent CN-2689538-Y), hereinafter Zu.
Regarding claim 9, Zhang’s modified device teaches the intracavity frequency doubling fiber laser according to claim 1, wherein the laser frequency doubling device includes a frequency doubling crystal (from Zhang Fig. 3 frequency doubling crystal 111).
Zhang’s modified device fails to teach the frequency doubling crystal applies an I-type critical phase matching mode.
However, Zu teaches laser frequency doubling device includes a frequency doubling crystal (Fig. 4 non-linear frequency doubling crystal 4 ) and the frequency doubling crystal applies an I-type critical phase matching mode (Fig. 4 non-linear frequency doubling crystal 4 is a I-type phase matching mode, see page 4 paragraph 5).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to prior to the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Zhang’s device in the view of Wu and Wen with a frequency doubling crystal applies an I-type critical phase matching mode as taught by Zu because it would improve frequency conversion efficiency (from Zu page 4 first paragraph).
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang (Foreign Patent CN-114421269-A) in the view of Wu (Foreign Patent CN-101424762-A), and Wen (US Patent US-20160238369-A1), as per claim 1, in further view of Sugaya (US Patent US-6922280-B1), hereinafter Sugaya.
Regarding claim 10, Zhang’s modified device teaches the intracavity frequency doubling fiber laser according to claim 1.
Zhang’s modified device fails to teach wherein a laser filtering device configured to filter out laser that fall outside a central wavelength of the fundamental frequency laser is arranged between the second optical polarization rotating device and the reflection device.
However, Sugaya teaches a laser filtering device (Fig. 1 filter 28 is a laser filter) configured to filter out laser that fall outside a central wavelength of the fundamental frequency laser (column 6 lines 20-25 states “a weighting filter 28 in which the maximum transmittance rate is at the central wavelength in the gain wavelength band of the optical amplifying part 11 and the transmittance rate decreases as a difference between the wavelength of probe light and the central wavelength increases”).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to prior to the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Zhang’s device in the view of Wu and Wen with a laser filtering device configured to filter out laser that fall outside a central wavelength of the fundamental frequency laser (e.g. having the filter from Sugaya between 108 and 109 from Zhang) as taught by Sugaya because it would allow to filter the desired wavelength.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-3 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Regarding claim 2, Zhang’s modified device teaches the intracavity frequency doubling fiber laser according to claim 1, wherein, the fundamental frequency laser output from the bidirectional optical amplifier (from Zhang Fig. 3 output of right side 104), and enters the polarization beam splitting device in the incident manner (modified Zang’s device would have the polarization beam splitting 07 from Wen, hence the light output from 104 would enter the polarization beam splitting device).
Zhang’s modified device fails to teach its refraction and reflection optical path among the polarization beam splitting device, the second optical polarization rotating device and the reflection device is square-shaped.
Regarding claim 3, Zhang’s modified device teaches the intracavity frequency doubling fiber laser according to claim 1, comprising a polarization beam splitting device (from Wen Fig. 4 polarization beam splitter 07).
Zhang’s modified device fails to teach wherein the polarization beam splitting device consists of a prism A, a parallelogramic prism and a prism B which are fit with each other from top to bottom in sequence; cross sections of the prism A and the prism B are in a right triangle or a right trapezoid, and an included angle between an inclined plane and a right-angle plane of each of the prism A and the prism B is 450; and the reflection device is a 450 isosceles right-angle prism.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. LeChapelle (US Patent US-20220291349-A1) and Withmore (US Patent US-20250253612-A1) teach a bidirectional optical amplifier.
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/FERNANDA ADRIANA CAMACHO ALANIS/Examiner, Art Unit 2828 /MINSUN O HARVEY/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2828
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