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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-5, 7-16, and 18-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US 2023/0208110 (Fuchs).
For claim 1, Fuchs teaches a system, the system comprising:
a laser diode (fig. 1B) comprising:
a laser cavity (fig. 1B, 131; [0078]) comprising one or more lasing junctions (fig. 1B, 1271-1273, [0082]);
a first mirror on a first facet of the laser cavity (fig. 1B, 125 or 130; [0078]); and
a second mirror on a second facet of the laser cavity (fig. 1B, 130 or 125; [0078]), wherein a reflectivity of at least one of the first mirror and the second mirror is variable over wavelength ([0078]).
For claim 2, Fuchs teaches the system comprises an edge emitting laser (EEL) (fig. 1B, 135; [0078]).
For claim 3, Fuchs teaches the first facet is the back or high reflecting facet of the EEL (fig. 1B, 125 may be considered on the first facet) and the second facet is the front or emitting facet of the EEL (fig. 1B, 130 may be considered on the second facet).
For claim 4, Fuchs teaches the first facet is the front or emitting facet of the EEL (fig. 1B, 130 may be considered on the first facet) and the second facet is the back or high reflecting facet of the EEL (fig. 1B, 125 may be considered on the second facet).
For claim 5, Fuchs teaches the one or more lasing junctions comprise a plurality of lasing junctions (fig. 1B, 1271-1273), and the plurality of lasing junctions are electrically connected in series via one or more tunnel junctions (fig. 1B, 1281 and 1282; [0082]).
For claim 7, Fuchs teaches one or both of the first mirror and the second mirror comprises a plurality of dielectric layer coatings ([0124]).
For claim 8, Fuchs teaches the second mirror comprises an AlOx coating ([0016] and [0127]).
For claim 9, Fuchs teaches the second mirror comprises a dielectric coating ([0016] and [0127]) that is greater than 1 micron ([0125]; up to 50 layers at 30-90 nm each).
For claim 10, Fuchs teaches an example of variable reflectivity of mirror 125 of Fig.7A, wherein a maximum of the reflectivity in an interval of 867nm-911 nm is about R=9% (at 867nm), which is more than two times a minimum of the reflectivity (where R is below 0.001 %) at 911 nm in this interval, and this interval extends from 2% below an emission wavelength of about 885nm, see Fig.9A, to 3% above the emission wavelength of about 885nm.
For claim 11, Fuchs teaches a method,
the method comprising:
forming a laser cavity (fig. 1B, 131; [0078]) via one or more lasing junctions (fig. 1B, 1271-1273, [0082]);
depositing a first mirror on a first facet of the laser cavity (fig. 1B, 130; [0078]);
depositing a second mirror on a second facet (fig. 1B, 125; [0078]), wherein a reflectivity of at least one of the first mirror and the second mirror is variable over wavelength ([0078]); and
generating a feedback, in the laser cavity, between the first mirror and the second mirror ([0078]; resonator mirrors provide feedback).
For claim 12, Fuchs teaches fabricating an edge emitting laser (EEL) (fig. 1B, 135; [0078]).
For claim 13, Fuchs teaches the first facet is the back or high reflecting facet of the EEL (fig. 1B, 125 may be considered on the first facet) and the second facet is the front or emitting facet of the EEL (fig. 1B, 130 may be considered on the second facet).
For claim 14, Fuchs teaches the first facet is the front or emitting facet of the EEL (fig. 1B, 130 may be considered on the first facet) and the second facet is the back or high reflecting facet of the EEL (fig. 1B, 125 may be considered on the second facet).
For claim 15, Fuchs teaches the one or more lasing junctions comprises a plurality of lasing junctions (fig. 1B, 1271-1273), and the method comprises electrically connecting the plurality of lasing junctions in series via one or more tunnel junctions (fig. 1B, 1281 and 1282; [0082]).
For claim 16, Fuchs teaches one or both of the first mirror and the second mirror comprises a plurality of dielectric layer coatings. ([0124]).
For claim 18, Fuchs teaches the second mirror comprises a dielectric coating ([0016] and [0127]) that is greater than 1 micron ([0125]; up to 50 layers at 30-90 nm each).
For claim 19, Fuchs teaches an example of variable reflectivity of mirror 125 of Fig.7A, wherein a maximum of the reflectivity in an interval of 867nm-911 nm is about R=9% (at 867nm), which is more than two times a minimum of the reflectivity (where R is below 0.001 %) at 911 nm in this interval, and this interval extends from 2% below an emission wavelength of about 885nm, see Fig.9A, to 3% above the emission wavelength of about 885nm.
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.
Claims 6 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2023/0208110 (Fuchs).
For claim 6, Fuchs does not teach the system comprises a plurality of laser diodes on a chip.
However, the examiner takes official notice that forming a plurality of laser diodes on a chip was well-known in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention and has the benefit of increasing overall output and proving multiple source for different signals. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form a plurality of the lasers taught by Fuchs on a chip as was well-known in order to increase overall output and proving multiple source for different signals.
For claim 17, Fuchs teaches the second mirror comprises an AlOx coating ([0016] and [0127]).
Fuchs does not teach the AlOx coating of the second mirror is deposited by ion sputtering. However, the examiner takes official notice that ion-sputtering was a well-known in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention as a deposition technique. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the well-known ion beam sputtering with the method of Fuchs in order to deposit the AlOx coating of the second mirror.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Michael W Carter whose telephone number is (571)270-1872. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 9:00-5:30.
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/Michael Carter/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2828
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