Charles Hamilton Email & Phone Number

Portland, Or, Us

Vancouver, Wa

Developing high-power, single-mode fiber lasers for industrial use, resulting in kW-class fiber laser products. Developing components for high-power fiber lasers. Developed a statistical database to identify issues related to changes of processes and materials, which may affect production. Researched and developed models on Stimulated Raman Scattering (SRS), resulting in a design tool to keep SRS within specified limits.Led research and development of ultra-compact, thermally-stable… Show more Developing high-power, single-mode fiber lasers for industrial use, resulting in kW-class fiber laser products. Developing components for high-power fiber lasers. Developed a statistical database to identify issues related to changes of processes and materials, which may affect production. Researched and developed models on Stimulated Raman Scattering (SRS), resulting in a design tool to keep SRS within specified limits.Led research and development of ultra-compact, thermally-stable UV lasers. Developed very compact passively Q-switched diode-pumped solid-state lasers based on thermally-insensitive positive-branch unstable resonators. Developed temperature-insensitive second harmonic and third harmonic nonlinear converters to complete the UV conversion. Generated mathematical models for the solid-state laser and for both nonlinear optical steps to guide design. Developed the analysis procedures. Environmentally tested all devices, confirming temperature insensitivity. .Led research and development of fiber-based high-power UV sources for industrial processes, achieving high conversion efficiency, which resulted in a diffraction-limited UV output well-suited to materials processing. Developed sophisticated nonlinear optics modeling to guide design, nonlinear materials choices, and optical design of the overall system. Led research and development of passively Q-switched Er:YAG laser, resonantly pumped with a fiber coupled diode laser. Developed robust mathematical model for very complex state kinetics of Er3+. Designed resonator to enable diffraction-limited output. Achieved efficient cw output, and passive Q-switched operation. Responsible for interactions with NASA customer - wrote detailed technical progress reports, developed of schedule and budget, and carried out frequent discussions. Show less

Redmond, Wa

Led research and development of day-night cameras for small UAVs. Resulted in very compact day-night camera with optical zoom capability. Developed a very simple illuminator with a continuously-variable divergence. Integrated camera and illuminator into single unit. Successfully field tested (ground and airborne) to show image quality and day/night capabilities. Interacted with Navy customer through presentations, technical progress reports, and discussions. Presented findings of a Phase I… Show more Led research and development of day-night cameras for small UAVs. Resulted in very compact day-night camera with optical zoom capability. Developed a very simple illuminator with a continuously-variable divergence. Integrated camera and illuminator into single unit. Successfully field tested (ground and airborne) to show image quality and day/night capabilities. Interacted with Navy customer through presentations, technical progress reports, and discussions. Presented findings of a Phase I study to win a Phase II program.Led research and development on a compact night vision camera for small, hand-launched UAVs. Developed multiple prototypes. Developed methods to characterize image quality and night vision capability. Flight tested camera on hand-launched UAVs, demonstrating capabilities in areas with low-to-no light, and demonstrating robustness on landing and subsequent relaunch. Interacted with Army customer through frequent discussion, technique reporting, and program tracking.Wrote proposal for, and set up partnership for development of day/night cameras based on CMOS array technology. Led the research and development effort of these cameras for the same Army customer. Demonstrated capabilities in an urban night environment. Show less

Bothell, Wa

Led research and development of bio-medical laser sources:* Developed a flying spot, deep-UV laser source for laser vision correction, basing the source on fifth harmonic generation (209 nm) of a diode-pumped Nd:YLF laser. * Developed a rapidly tunable, single-transverse-mode diode laser for detection of vulnerable plaques in arteries, thus providing a diagnostic for a leading cause of heart attacks. The laser output was fiber delivered through a rotating catheter (developed… Show more Led research and development of bio-medical laser sources:* Developed a flying spot, deep-UV laser source for laser vision correction, basing the source on fifth harmonic generation (209 nm) of a diode-pumped Nd:YLF laser. * Developed a rapidly tunable, single-transverse-mode diode laser for detection of vulnerable plaques in arteries, thus providing a diagnostic for a leading cause of heart attacks. The laser output was fiber delivered through a rotating catheter (developed elsewhere) to target locations within the coronary arteries. Extensions of the laser were made using diode chips based on quantum dots, and on using fiber-coupled silicon optical amplifiers (SOAs), the latter making for a much more manufacturable device.Lead research and development of beam combining methods to scale diode and fiber lasers to high average power without compromising beam quality:* Conducted research on spectral beam combining of laser diode emitters, achieving a record-setting combination of 1400 single-mode emitters . Results showed a four-order-of-magnitude improvement in beam quality.* Researched spectral beam combining of broad-stripe laser diode emitters, which, intrinsically, have low beam quality. Beam quality was improved to be near diffraction-limited, albeit with a system trade of lower efficiency.* Led an initial development of wavelength division multiplexing of outputs from high power fiber amplifiers, which were injection-seeded with narrowband diode lasers.Led several nonlinear optical developments. Among these was the aforementioned UV source for laser vision correction. Furthermore, led the development of an all-solid-state 193-nm, single-frequency laser source for lens metrolog. Other developments were of single-frequency optical parametric oscillators (OPOs) based on injection-seeded ring cavities, and development of OPOs using periodically poled materials, which enabled generation of high quality beams in the mid-infrared region. Show less

Livermore, Ca

• Led research and development of very compact, diode-side-pumped Er:YAG laser. Developed a simple, mechanism to enable long-range propagation in the atmosphere. Demonstrated record level average power. Successfully field tested the laser in demanding environments. Demonstrated easy portability, far surpassing the competing technology.

Bellevue, Wa

• Conducted research and development on solid-state lasers. Focused research on single frequency Ti:sapphire lasers, using dispersive and injection-seeded cavities. Developed higher-power diode-pumped Nd:YAG lasers as high-power diode bars were first becoming available. Expanded development diode-pumped Nd:YAG laser lasers to high-repetition rate, Q-switched devices. Extended research of diode-pumped solid-state lasers to other rare-earth elements in crystalline hosts, primarily focusing on… Show more • Conducted research and development on solid-state lasers. Focused research on single frequency Ti:sapphire lasers, using dispersive and injection-seeded cavities. Developed higher-power diode-pumped Nd:YAG lasers as high-power diode bars were first becoming available. Expanded development diode-pumped Nd:YAG laser lasers to high-repetition rate, Q-switched devices. Extended research of diode-pumped solid-state lasers to other rare-earth elements in crystalline hosts, primarily focusing on Tm, Ho:YAG lasers.• Led nonlinear optical development leading to single-frequency optical parametric oscillators controlled by injection seeding a ring cavity.• Conducted research and development on unique nonlinear optical systems, including efficient generation of extreme UV (130 nm) by resonance-enhanced four-wave mixing in mercury vapor. Further researched multi-photon ionization of atomic oxygen, using the 130 nm source for the first allowed transition, followed by near-infrared transitions for the ionization.• Researched generation of picosecond mid-infrared pulses via tandem, mode-locked optical parametric oscillators for the U.S. Air Force• Developed the optical system for a UV differential absorption LIDAR capable of measuring ozone concentrations to an altitude of 50 km. Part of a team delivering this system to NIES, Tsukuba, Japan. Show less

Cambridge, Ma

• Studied stimulated emission pumping (SEP) spectroscopy under Prof. R.W. Field (Chemistry Dept). Researched high-resolution spectroscopy of mono- and di-deuterate acetylene as a precursor to research on stochastic behavior in molecules.• Provided assistance to other users of the MIT Spectroscopy Lab.

Ph. D., Chemical Physics

Activities and Societies: American Chemical Society National Science Foundation Predoctoral Fellow, 1980 - 1983 Coblentz Society Award.

Bachelor Of Science, Chemistry

Activities and Societies: Phi Lambda Upsilon (Oregon State Chapter) Summa cum Laude