Overview
FrançaisABSTRACT
Acousto-optics refers to the diffraction of light by acoustic waves. Acousto-optical devices are generally designed around a transparent solid supporting the propagation of elastic waves at frequencies ranging from a few tens of MHz to a few GHz. Elastic waves are generated by a transducer driven by an electronic source delivering a RF power of the order of a few watts. The frequency and the direction of an incident light beam are modified as a result of the photoelastic effect. The present article introduces the theoretical and practical bases of acousto-optics, the properties of materials employed, and devices fabricated from them.
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Read the articleAUTHORS
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Jean-Claude KASTELIK: University Professor, ISEN Engineer - IEMN, Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France and CNRS, Valenciennes, France
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Vincent LAUDE: CNRS Research Director, Engineer, École Supérieure d'Optique - FEMTO-ST Institute, - University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté and CNRS, Besançon, France
INTRODUCTION
Acousto-optics refers to the science and techniques by which an acoustic wave can be used to alter the propagation of an optical wave. The volume acousto-optic components described in this article receive a radio-frequency electrical signal as input, which, via a piezoelectric transducer, enables the generation of an acoustic wave. An incident optical wave, often from a laser source, is diffracted by the index grating accompanying the acoustic wave due to the photoelastic effect. The diffraction efficiency, which can reach 100% under optimum conditions, is accompanied by an optical frequency shift equal to the acoustic frequency. Acousto-optic components are commonly used to produce intensity or phase modulators, frequency shifters, programmable deflectors and tunable filters. The optical range covered extends from ultraviolet to mid-infrared, while acoustic frequencies are of the order of a few tens of MHz to a few GHz, with no theoretical limit other than optical and acoustic propagation losses. This article first presents the fundamentals of acousto-optic interaction modeling, limiting itself to the simplest case of volume plane-wave interaction, but considering the effects of optical and acoustic anisotropy in the crystals commonly considered, notably paratellurite. Secondly, a technical description of each of the major classes of devices is presented: modulators, deflectors and tunable filters. For each of these applications, the essential design rules are explained, and the characteristics and limitations are illustrated with examples.
At the end of the article, readers will find a glossary and a table of symbols used.
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KEYWORDS
filtering | modulation | acousto-optical effect | deflection
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Bibliography
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AA Opto-Electronic, France
http://www.aaoptoelectronic.com/
Gooch & Housego, United Kingdom
Isomet, United States
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