Effect of the spatial structure of an acoustic field on Bragg’s acoustooptic diffraction under strong acoustic anisotropy conditions

Bragg’s acoustooptic diffraction in an acoustically anisotropic medium is considered taking into account the two-dimensional spatial diffraction structure of the acoustic beam. The conditions are determined under which reverse transfer of optical power from the diffracted to the transmitted beam in the regime of 100% efficiency of diffraction is considerably suppressed. It is shown that this effect is due to diffraction bending of wave fronts of the acoustic beam in the acoustooptic diffraction plane. The problem of optimization of the piezoelectric transducer size and the spatial position of the input light beam is solved using the criterion of the minimal required power of the acoustic field. The results of simulation in a wide range of the acoustooptic interaction parameters for a Gaussian light beam are reported. The correctness of the model is confirmed experimentally. Recommendations for designers of acoustooptic devices are formulated.     

Acoustic-optical interaction in photonic crystals: Frequency dependence of Bragg angle

A method is developed for calculating the frequency dependences of the Bragg angle in two-dimensional photonic crystals for isotropic and anisotropic Bragg diffractions. It is shown that the frequency dependences of the Bragg angle exhibit some interesting features related to the formation of partial forbidden bands of optical and acoustic waves.     

声光效应实验研究

介绍声光效应的最新理论进展。采用光栅假设，对各向同性介质中的声光效应作了简要讨论，导出了第m级衍射光的衍射效率公式。研究和介绍一种新的声光效应实验装置。在实验中，应用线阵CCD光强分布测量仪等，通过改变超声波的频率和功率，分别实现了对激光束方向的控制和强度的调制；定量给出了声光偏转量的关系曲线和声光调制测量的关系曲线。实验表明，在布喇格衍射下，通过固定超声波功率，测量衍射光相对于零级衍射光的相对光强与超声波频率的关系曲线，不仅可以计算声速，还可以确定声光器件的带宽和中心频率。     

Highly effective acoustooptic diffraction of light by multifrequency sound using a nonaxial deflector

The subject of investigation is multiple-beam Bragg diffraction of light, i.e., the formation of a highly effective multiple-beam field representing a superposition of equidistant monochromatic acoustic waves with determinate phases and amplitudes using a nonaxial TeO₂ deflector. It is shown theoretically and experimentally that the anisotropic character of interaction considerably changes the basic parameters of multiple-beam diffraction (compared with the isotropic case): the net diffraction efficiency grows to 100%, and the frequency band expands noticeably. A modulator splitting the initial laser radiation into five beams of equal intensity with a net efficiency approaching 100% is designed.     

Intermediate regime for the diffraction of light on ultrasound in gyrotropic anisotropic crystals

An intermediate regime for the diffraction of light on ultrasound in gyrotropic anisotropic and cubic crystals in an external electric field is considered. A system of equations of the coupled waves, which describes acoustooptic diffraction in gyrotropic anisotropic crystals with consideration of the electrically induced optical anisotropy for a strong interaction between light and ultrasound, is presented. An intermediate regime for the diffraction of light on ultrasound in gyrotropic anisotropic crystals which is close to the Bragg regime for a weak acoustooptic interaction is studied. It is shown that the diffracted light is elliptically polarized and that the ellipticity and polarization azimuth of the diffracted wave depend on the anisotropy of the photoelasticity, the electrically induced anisotropy of the crystal in the external electric field, the gyrotropy, and the asymmetry of the diffraction structure. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 67, 80–82 (September 1997)     

Effect of recording conditions on the anisotropic diffraction of volume holographic gratings

The anisotropic Bragg diffraction of the volume holographic gratings in photorefractive crystals are investigated based on the model of anisotropic coupled-wave theory. The effect of the initial intensity ratio and the recording angles of the two recording waves on the anisotropic Bragg diffraction properties is discussed. It is shown that both the ratio of the initial intensity and the incident angles of the recording waves are selective action for the anisotropic Bragg diffraction efficiency of the volume holographic gratings, while these two recording conditions are not selective action for the isotropic Bragg diffraction. Furthermore, the Bragg phase matching condition of anisotropic diffraction is analyzed when the recording angles change.     

Polarization properties of thick anisotropic diffraction holograms recorded with infrared-polymerizable media

The polarization properties of thick anisotropic holographic gratings are studied theoretically and experimentally. The dependences of the diffraction efficiency, ellipticity, and polarization orientation of the diffraction beam on the azimuth angle of polarization of an incident Bragg beam are derived. The experimental data are shown to agree well with the analytical calculations. It is found that the diffraction characteristics can be controlled in a wide range of incident polarization.     

Acousto-optic interaction in a non-homogeneous acoustic field excited by a wedge-shaped transducer

The article is devoted to theoretical analysis of light diffraction in a non-homogeneous acoustic field created by a wedge-shaped piezoelectric transducer. Relationships describing electrical, acoustic and acousto-optic properties of the acousto-optic cell are derived in the approximation of a small thickness of the piezoelectric plate. Principal characteristics of acousto-optic interaction are examined such as dependences of the light diffraction efficiency on the phase mismatch and the acoustic wave amplitude. It is shown that the acoustic field has a complicated amplitude-phase structure changing with the acoustic frequency. It is demonstrated that the diffraction efficiency in the Bragg regime can approach 100% in spite of a noticeable phase mismatch. The appropriate optimal values of ultrasound power and incidence angles of light are found.     

Acoustooptic Bragg diffraction without overemodulation with a phased-array transducer

Acoustooptic Bragg diffraction without overemodulation (i.e., with the extended high-efficiency region on the diffraction efficiency dependence vs. sound amplitude) is studied theoretically and experimentally. It is found that this effect appears in the case of a symmetrically nonuniform acoustic field and is due to the equality of additional opposite phase shifts of light beams passing through symmetric regions of the acoustic field. The situation is considered when an acoustic field is excited by a three-section phased-array transducer. The conditions are determined, in which reverse optical power transfer from the diffracted beam to transmitted beam (overemodulation) in the case of a high (close to 100%) diffraction efficiency is considerably suppressed. In the case of a phased array, the effect weakly depends on the frequency of sound and the size of transducer sections, which makes it possible to observe it in a wide range of acoustooptic interaction parameters.     

Acoustooptic multiplication of the frequency shift of optical radiation on the basis of bragg polarization splitting

A technique for the acoustooptic multiplication of the frequency shift of an optical beam is proposed. The technique is based on the cascade diffraction of the beam by a single acoustic wave with the use of Bragg polarization splitting in a uniaxial crystal. The fundamental possibility of the practical realization of the technique is confirmed experimentally by using anisotropic acoustooptic diffraction in LiNbO₃.     

Investigation into the acoustooptic properties of tellurium crystals by anisotropic diffraction of light

The optical, acoustic, and acoustooptic properties of tellurium crystals viewed as a candidate material for mid-and far-IR acoustooptic devices are considered. The phase velocities, polarization, and drift angles of the acoustic energy in different crystal planes are calculated. The acoustooptic figure of merit for tellurium under the anisotropic diffraction conditions is estimated, and light-sound interaction geometries promising for acoustooptic applications are discussed. Measuring data for the optical and acoustooptic parameters of tellurium crystals are given.     

Anisotropic light diffraction in a biaxial crystal of alpha-iodic acid

A program for calculating characteristics of acousto-optic interaction in biaxial crystals is developed and used to analyze light diffraction by ultrasound in an iodic acid crystal. Crystal cuts with maximum acousto-optic figures of merits are found. It is shown that in the region of the optical axes the frequency dependences of the Bragg angles under anisotropic diffraction are substantially different from those in uniaxial crystals.     

Effect of acoustooptic Bragg diffraction on the degree of spatial coherence of a light beam

The effect of acoustooptic (AO) Bragg diffraction on the degree of spatial coherence of an optical beam formed as the result of transmission of a Gaussian beam through a diffuser is studied. Experiments performed on the basis of the AO Bragg interaction in a single crystal of TeO₂ confirmed that the optical beam areas characterized by a higher spatial coherence diffract with a considerably higher efficiency than the low-coherence areas. In addition, the character of the speckle-structure distribution of the optical field of the diffracted beam is practically isotropic.     

Ultrasonic diffraction of Bessel light beams in uniaxial gyrotropic crystals

Specific features of the acousto-optic diffraction of Bessel light beams propagating in the vicinity of the optical axis of a uniaxial gyrotropic crystal have been investigated. The dependences of the diffraction efficiency on the acousto-optic interaction length, ultrasound power, and polarization state of the incident Bessel light beam have been analyzed using the coupled-wave equations and the overlap-integral method. It is shown that polarization-independent diffraction of Bessel light beams is observed in paratellurite crystals, when the Bragg diffraction efficiency is independent of the polarization state of the incident beam. The physical reason for this diffraction has been established (both theoretically and experimentally) to be simultaneous implementation of two processes of anisotropic scattering, at which the Bragg synchronism conditions are satisfied for orthogonal polarized Bessel beams with elliptical polarization.     

记录结构对体光栅各向异性衍射选择特性研究

以静态体光栅各向异性衍射理论分析模型为基础，将与体光栅厚度有关的记录光强调制度引入到各向异性耦合波方程中.利用耦合波理论分析了光折变晶体中体光栅的各向异性衍射性能，研究了在不同初始记录光强比的条件下，记录光入射角的改变对光折变体光栅各向异性布喇格衍射性能的影响.结果表明：记录光入射角和记录光初始光强比均对体光栅的各向异性衍射具有选择性；与此相比，记录光入射角和记录光初始光强比对于体光栅各向同性衍射不具备选择性.     

Triple Bragg diffraction in paratellurite crystal

Triple Bragg diffraction in a paratellurite crystal has been considered for the case when the plane of diffraction is oblique to the optical axis of the crystal. It has been shown that effective photoelastic constants for isotropic and anisotropic diffraction depend on the inclination of the plane of diffraction insignificantly. Triple Bragg diffraction of 0.63-μm coherent radiation in paratellurite at a 47.3-MHz slow acoustic wave has been experimentally demonstrated. For an optical power of 0.69 W delivered to a piezoconverter, the relative intensities of diffraction orders equal ~0.4, 0.4, 0.1, and 0.1, respectively.     

Acoustooptic interaction of beams close to forbidden directions

The theory of acoustooptic interaction of beams taking into account the drift and spreading of beams in an anisotropic medium is presented. The problem is solved analytically for a weak interaction of Gaussian beams close to forbidden directions. The possibility of existence of collinear diffraction of wave beams along the direction forbidden for interaction of plane waves is shown theoretically. The interaction appearing close to such a direction was found to result in a certain distortion of the beam shape. The calculation performed for a paratellurite crystal shows that the efficiency of the diffraction along the forbidden direction can reach 10% at the acoustic power usually used.     

New acoustooptic effect: Constant high diffraction efficiency in wide range of acoustic power

A new effect, viz., acoustooptic Bragg diffraction without the overmodulation mode, in which the efficiency of the Bragg order attains its maximal value (close to 100%) upon an increase in the intensity of an acoustic wave and then remains practically unchanged, is predicted theoretically and observed experimentally. The effect takes place in the case of considerable bending of phase fronts of the acoustic field in the acoustooptic diffraction plane and attains its maximal value at a relatively low frequency of sound, a small width of a piezoelectric transducer, strong acoustic anisotropy of the medium, and a large distance between the light beam and the piezoelectric transducer.     

Two-coordinate diffusion of optical beams by an acoustooptic Raman-Nath modulator based on a paratellurite crystal

Acoustooptic Raman-Nath diffraction by a standing acoustic wave in a paratellurite crystal is investigated. An acoustic line is made in the form of a polished cube and serves as a high-Q acoustic resonator. A slow shear wave is excited by a single piezoelectric transducer. Multiple lossless sound reflections lead to two-coordinate light diffusion. When the acoustic intensity introduced into the crystal is about 2 W/cm² at a sound frequency of 7 MHz, there appears a diffraction pattern in the form of a homogeneous light spot with a solid angle of about 0.5 sr. An explanation for the features of the acoustooptic interaction is given. It is shown that this type of diffraction is helpful in designing acoustooptic two-coordinate diffusers of light beams.