DETAILED ACTION
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
Claims 1-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) as failing to comply with the enablement requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to enable one skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and/or use the full scope of the claimed invention without undue experimentation.
Claim 1 recites “the optical clock stabilizes two different wavelengths from 405 nm to 2350 nm to a desired optical frequency”. While the specification provide one working example of 780 nm and 1560 nm wavelength modes, the original disclosure is without any specific information on how two different wavelengths that are capable of being stabilized should be selected or determined, and there lacks evidence in the state of prior art that this is information readily apparent or available to a person of ordinary skill in the art. It is thus the examiner’s opinion that it would have required undue experimentation by a person of ordinary skill in the art to make use of the claimed invention, given the large range of wavelengths extending from visible to IR spectral range, and particularly in view of various waveguide materials used (disclosed in dependent claims) and their respective operating wavelengths. Claims 2-15 are also rejected as being dependent claims thereof.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-15 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) set forth in this Office action. Prior art of record fails to teach or fairly suggest an optical clock comprising four photonic chips connected by photonic wire bonds having a laser source, a microcomb PIC and a second harmonic generation, an optical reference PIC, a PIC and a circuit to generate a stable reference signal, respectively, when considered in view of the rest of the limitations of the claimed invention. Herr et al. (NPL citation in IDS that discloses Kerr-frequency combs) and Liu et al. (NPL citation in IDS that discloses laser stabilization photonic circuits) are closest available prior art of record but fail to teach or suggest the claimed invention as a whole.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. USPub20240213735 discloses photonic integrated circuits incorporating frequency modulated lasers.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHARLIE PENG whose telephone number is (571)272-2177. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM - 6PM.
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/CHARLIE Y PENG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2874
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