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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species 1, Figure 2A in the reply filed on April 6, 2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 6-8 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on April 6, 2026.
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 “microwave signal is coupled to the semiconductor laser through a Bias-Tee” 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 Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the two ground states" in line 4; “the multiple interactions” (line 5) and “the laser beam” (lines 4-5, is this referring to the “multichromatic laser beam” of line 3 or another laser beam) and “and quantum resonance system” (line 5, should this be “and a quantum resonance system”); “using waveplate” in (line 9, should this be “using a waveplate”); “the dark state”; “the two dark states” and “the two polarization components” (line 11); “the transmitted probe light”, “the orthogonal polarization components”, “the probe transmitted light” (lines 14-15); “the Lamb-dip signal and Lamb-peak signal” (line 16). There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claim. Please review claims and correct for consistent language throughout.
Claim 2 recites the limitation "it compries" in line 5, it is not clear what is being referred to as “it”, the assumed meaning is “the resonance system”; “the angular momentum” in line 6, “the bichromatic laser beam” (previous described as mononchromatic or bichromatic) in multiple lines. The claim appears to be first describing the function for a monochromatic laser and the second for bichromatic function. Since the first line is in the alternative, the claim is addressed with art for either monochromatic OR bichromatic. The claim recites “SNR enhanced” line 8.There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claim. Please review claims and correct for consistent language throughout.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite in that it fails to point out what is included or excluded by the claim language. This claim is an omnibus type claim. Specifically, claim 3 list of materials that the quantum resonance system “is based on” and uses “and”. It is not clear if this should be interpreted that all of the materials are used in the quantum resonance system or just one of the materials. For examination purposes, it is assumed that the quantum resonance system only requires one of the materials cited.
Claim 4 recites the limitation "the high reflectivity optical devices" in line 2; “ (line 16). There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claim. For purposes of examination, it is assumed that this is “the high reflectivity optical device”. Claims 4 and 5 recites “whose polarization is also adjusted to a proper direction”, it is not clear what is meant to “a proper direction”. For purposes of examination, the assumed meaning is “wherein the polarization is adjusted”.
Claim 5 recites the limitation “the bichromatic laser beam”, there is antecedent basis for this limitation. In addition, the limitation of “the microwave signal is coupled to the semiconductor laser through a Bias-Tee” is vague as it is not clear what is meant by the limitation and where this signal would input the system. For purposes of examination, this limitation is interpreted as “the microwave signal is coupled to the semiconductor laser”.
Please review claims and correct for consistent language throughout.
Claims 2-5 are rejected since they inherit the indefiniteness of the claims from which they depend.
Claims 1-5 are rejected as failing to define the invention in the manner required by 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, second paragraph.
The claim(s) are narrative in form and replete with indefinite language (e.g. “thanks to a quarter wave plate”) The structure which goes to make up the device must be clearly and positively specified. The structure must be organized and correlated in such a manner as to present a complete operative device. The claim(s) must be in one sentence form only. The claim limitations are being addressed as best understood.
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) 1-5, as best understood, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Vance US 12025495, herein after Vance ‘495 in view of Ding et al CN 115693393, herein after Ding ‘393.
Regarding claim 1, Vance ‘495 discloses a bichromatic laser frequency stabilization method based on differential detection of coexisting Lamb-dips and Lamb-peaks (Abstract-absorption peaks/dips-see Figures 2-3), comprising the steps of: providing a multichromatic laser beam (100) having frequency component fi and f2 with frequency difference close to the two ground states splitting (optical pump light 100 with multiple frequencies-Figure 4); setting multiple interactions between the multichromatic laser beam and a quantum resonance system (vapor cell 105/106, Figure 4) in a Doppler-free configuration (Column 3, line 64-Column 4, line 3), in which the multichromatic laser beam is split into a pump light (101) and a probe (112) light which propagate in opposite directions and overlap in space and act on the quantum resonance system simultaneously (Figure 4); setting the relative polarization directions of the pump and probe light using a wave plate (103), and setting the relative Raman phases between the pump and probe light using mirrors (108); this allows the dark state created by the pump light and two dark states created by the two polarization components of the probe light to have constructive interference and destructive interference respectively (inherent due to claimed structure), then coexisting Lamb-dips and Lamb-peaks are generated (Abstract-absorption peaks/dips-see Figures 2-3); separating spatially the transmitted probe light from the pump light (within vapor cell 105), and then separating and detecting (detector 114) the orthogonal polarization components of the probe transmitted light (112) after its interactions with the quantum resonance system (vapor cell 105), the Lamb-dip signal and Lamb-peak signal are then obtained simultaneously (absorption peaks/dips-see Figures 2-3); and comparing the Lamb-peak signal from Lamb-dip signal to generate a differential signal (Column 7, line 23-Column 8, line 63).
Vance ‘393 does not explicitly disclose the step of subtracting the Lamb-peak signal from Lamb-dip signal to generate a differential signal. However, in the same field of endeavor, Ding ‘393 teaches of a laser frequency stabilization method based on differential detection of coexisting Lamb-dips and Lamb-peaks (Background, Figure 1), comprising the steps of: providing a multichromatic laser beam (101) having frequency component fi and f2 with frequency difference close to the two ground states splitting (optical pump light with multiple frequencies-Figure 4); setting the multiple interactions between the multichromatic laser beam (Figure 1) and a quantum resonance system in a Doppler-free configuration (background), in which the laser beam is split into a pump light (pump) and a probe (probe) light which propagate in opposite directions and overlap in space and act on the quantum resonance system simultaneously (Figure 1); the Lamb-dip signal and Lamb-peak signal are then obtained simultaneously; and subtracting the Lamb-peak signal from Lamb-dip signal to generate a differential signal (Background). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the method of Vance ‘495 with the subtraction step of Ding ‘393 for the purpose of frequency stabilization (Background).
Regarding claim 2, Vance ‘495 further discloses a monochromatic laser is locked (116, Column 8, lines 14-64); when a monochromatic laser with frequency fi is desired to be locked, a degenerate two-level quantum resonance system is used (Column 8, lines 14-64); the resonance system comprises a ground state Ig > and an excited state le >, with their eigenfrequency fe and fg respectively (Column 8, lines 14-64); and the angular momentum associated with Fg and excited Fe levels meet the condition Fg which makes the simultaneous Lamb-dips and -peaks possible (Absorption peaks/dips-Figures 2-3-Column 8, lines 54-64); with the obtained Doppler-free and SNR enhanced differential signals, the laser frequency is locked to the transition frequency fge of the degenerate two- level quantum resonance system (Column 8, lines 54-64).
It is noted that the remainder of the claim language is not addressed since the claim is stated in the alternative (monochromatic OR bichromatic). Thus, Vance ‘495 reads on the limitations of the method using a monochromatic laser being locked.
Regarding claim 3, Vance ‘495 further discloses that the quantum resonance system is based on at least one of: H, Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, He, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe (absorbing substance 106 such as rubidium in the vapor state contained in vapor cell 105-Column 7, lines 10-15).
Regarding claim 4, Vance ‘495 further discloses a multichromatic laser system (100), a high reflectivity optical device (108), a quantum resonance system (105/106), a space and polarization separation device (113-filter) and balanced detection devices (114-detector), wherein: the multichromatic laser system generates a dual-frequency laser beam (101) which then, acting as a pump light, has multiple interactions with the quantum resonance system (106) in a Doppler-free configuration with the help of the high reflectivity optical device (Column 3, line 64-Column 4, line 3); the transmitted light of the pump beam through the quantum resonance system is converted to a counter-propagated and spatially- overlapped probe light (Figure 4), whose polarization is also adjusted (Column 7, line 23-Column 8, line 14); the probe light enters the quantum resonance system and interacts with it, Lamb-dips and Lamb-peaks are generated corresponding to the two orthogonal polarization components of probe light (Abstract-absorption peaks/dips-see Figures 2-3); a Lamb-dip signal and a Lamb-peak signal are obtained through the space and polarization separation device; the balanced detection devices detect the Lamb-dip signal and the Lamb-peak signal, and the differential signal between the two is also obtained, which is used for the laser frequency locking (Column 7, line 23-Column 8, line 63).
Regarding claim 5, Ding ‘393 further teaches a bichromatic laser beam is generated with direct-modulation of a semiconductor laser (Figure 1) and use of a half wave plate (HWP-1). Vance ‘495 further discloses a microwave signal (Column 20, lines 24-31) is coupled to the semiconductor laser; a bichromatic laser beam (101) passes through a non-polarizing beam splitter (102) and then enters the quantum resonance system (106) served as a pump light (101); a pair of mirrors in the high reflectivity optical device (108, 110) arranged at two sides of the quantum resonance system (Figure 4), thus the pump light multiple passes the quantum resonance system so as to increase the effective optical path length (Figure 4), which is in favour of higher quantum resonance signal (Column 3, line 61-Column 4, line 3); after the interaction between the pump beam and the quantum resonance system, the transmitted light of the pump beam is reflected as a probe beam (Figure 4), which is overlapped with the pump beam; thanks to a quarter-wave plate (103), the polarization of probe beam is adjusted relative to the pump beam (Column 7, line 23-Column 8, line 14); the counter-propagated and linear polarized probe light enters the quantum resonance system to interact with it (Figure 4), and the two orthogonal polarization components of the probe light, the parallel polarization component and the vertical polarization component, interact with the quantum resonance system and generate simultaneous Lamb-dips and Lamb-peaks respectively (Figure 2-3); the transmitted light from the probe light is separated from the pump light through a non-polarizing beam splitter (102), then passes through a quarter-wave plate (103), its polarization is separated by a polarizing beam splitter (109); the parallel polarization component is detected by the detection device (114) to obtain a Lamb-dip resonance signal for instance, then the vertical polarization component is detected to obtain a Lamb-peak resonance signal; and finally, a differential signal is obtained by subtracting Lamb-peak signal from Lamb-dip signal (Column 7, line 23-Column 8, line 63).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Pao US 3718868 and Kishiro CN 1725019 are cited for disclosing laser stabilization methods similar to the claimed invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JESSICA S MANNO whose telephone number is (571)272-2339. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday.
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/JESSICA S MANNO/SPE, Art Unit 2898
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