Using coupling slabs to tailor surface-acoustic-wave band structures in phononic crystals consisting of pillars attached to elastic substrates

The propagation of surface acoustic waves (SAWs) in two-dimensional phononic crystals (PnCs) with and without coupling-enhancement slabs was theoretically investigated using a three-dimensional finite element method. Different piezoelectric substrates, for example, lithium niobate (LiNbO₃), gallium nitride (GaN), and aluminium nitride (AlN), were taken into account. Compared to the PnCs without coupling-enhancement slabs, the coupling between each pillar and its nearest neighbor was largely enhanced in the presence of slabs. The bandwidth of the first directional band gap increased markedly compared with its initial value for the PnCs without a slab (within square symmetry). In addition, with increasing thicknesses of the slabs bonded between neighboring pillars, the first directional band-gap and second directional band gap of the PnCs tend to merge. Therefore, the structure with coupling-enhancement slabs can be used as an excellent electrical band elimination filter for most electro-SAW devices, offering a new strategy to realize chip-scale applications in electroacoustic signal processing, optoacoustic modulation, and even SAW microfluidic devices.     

Propagation of surface acoustic waves in a piezoelectric medium with a periodic groove structure

A system of equations is formulated to describe the propagation of surface acoustic waves in a piezoelectric substrate whose surface has a periodic structure formed by transverse grooves. Dependences of the reflection coefficient and the wave velocity on the geometry of the periodic structure (the width and the depth of the grooves) are obtained in a wide range of variation of these parameters for five different orientations in various piezoelectric crystals (quartz, lithium niobate, lithium tantalate, and langasite).     

Characteristics of fundamental acoustic wave modes in thin piezoelectric plates

The characteristics of the three lowest order plate waves (A(0), S(0), and SH(0)) propagating in piezoelectric plates whose thickness h is much less than the acoustic wavelength lambda are theoretically analyzed. It is found that these waves can provide much higher values of electromechanical coupling coefficient K(2) and lower values of temperature coefficient of delay (TCD) than is possible with surface acoustic waves (SAWs). For example, in 30Y-X lithium niobate, the SH(0) mode has K(2)=0.46 and TCD=55 ppm/degrees C. The corresponding values for SAW in the widely used, strong coupling material of 128Y-X lithium niobate are K(2)=0.053 and TCD=75 ppm/degrees C. Another important advantage of plate waves is that, unlike the case of SAWs, they can operate satisfactorily in contact with a liquid medium, thus making possible their use in liquid phase sensors.     

Incredible negative values of effective electromechanical coupling coefficient for surface acoustic waves in piezoelectrics

The extraordinary case of increase in velocity of surface acoustic waves (SAW) caused by electrical shorting of the surface of the superstrong piezoelectric crystal potassium niobate, KNbO3, is numerically found. The explanation of this effect is based on considering SAWs as coupled Rayleigh and Bleustein-Gulyaev modes. A general procedure of approximate decoupling of the modes is suggested for piezoelectric crystals of arbitrary anisotropy. The effect under study takes place when the phase velocity of uncoupled sagittally polarized Rayleigh waves is intermediate between the phase velocities of uncoupled shear-horizontal Bleustein Gulyaev waves at the free and metallized surfaces. In this case, the metallization of the surface by an infinitely thin layer may cause a crossover of the velocity curves of the uncoupled waves. The presence of the mode coupling results in splitting of the curves with transition from one uncoupled branch to the other. This transition is responsible for the increase in SAW velocity, which appears to be greater than its common decrease produced by electrical shorting of the substrate surface.     

Damage threshold of lithium niobate crystal under single and multiple femtosecond laser pulses: theoretical and experimental study

The damage threshold of lithium niobate crystal under single and multiple femtosecond laser pulses has been studied theoretically and experimentally. Firstly, the model for the damage threshold prediction of crystal materials based on the improved rate equation has been proposed. Then, the experimental measure method of the damage threshold of crystal materials has been given in detail. On the basis, the variation of the damage threshold of lithium niobate crystal with the pulse duration has also been analyzed quantitatively. Finally, the damage threshold of lithium niobate crystal under multiple laser pulses has been measured and compared to the theoretical results. The results show that the transmittance of lithium niobate crystal is almost a constant when the laser pulse fluence is relative low, whereas it decreases linearly with the increase in the laser pulse fluence below the damage threshold. The damage threshold of lithium niobate crystal increases with the increase in the duration of the femtosecond laser pulse. And the damage threshold of lithium niobate crystal under multiple laser pulses is obviously lower than that irradiated by a single laser pulse. The theoretical data fall in good agreement with the experimental results.     

Laser generation of acoustic waves at a periodic domain structure in lithium niobate

Generation of coherent acoustic oscillations due to the interaction of laser pulses with the periodic domain structure formed in a lithium niobate single crystal is observed. It is found that the excitation of acoustic waves is most efficient when the generated wavelength is equal to the period of the domain structure. The proposed mechanism of the optical generation of acoustic oscillations consists of the photogeneration of free carriers, which compensate the polarization fields within the domains, and the occurrence of alternating elastic stresses caused by the piezoelectric effect.     

Temperature-stable orientations in LGS and LGN piezoelectric crystals for surface acoustic waves

The temperature characteristics of surface acoustic waves (SAW) propagating in LGS and LGN crystals are numerically analyzed. The optimal orientations that correspond to the zero value of the first-order temperature coefficient of delay (TCD) for SAW propagating in these crystals are considered. The second-order TCD for SAW is calculated for a wide range of operating temperatures. It is shown that the temperature dependences of the material constants of LGS and LGN crystals are strongly nonlinear. The characteristics of SAW propagating in a structure that consists of an isotropic layer overlying an LGS or LGN piezoelectric crystal are numerically calculated. It is shown that, in the presence of a thin aluminum layer of a certain thickness on the crystal surface, in some cases it is possible to extend the operating temperature range within which the TCD for SAW is equal to zero.     

光子晶体的能态密度及带隙特性

基于平面波展开法数值模拟了硅、锗、磷化铝和氮化镓三代半导体材料构成三角晶格光子晶体的带隙特性,并且验证了文献[3]中这几种材料构成光子晶体能态密度的分布,两者数据吻合较好,研究结果为光子晶体器件的构造提供理论依据。     

Strain dependence of the piezoelectric polarization of z-cut lithium niobate

Measurements of the piezoelectric polarization of z-cut lithium niobate are accomplished for dynamic compressive strains of from 8.9 × 10^?4 to 6 × 10^?3. Values for the linear piezoelectric constant, $\text{e}$₃₃ and its strain derivative are determined. The logarithmic strain derivatives of the longitudinal piezoelectric constants of x-cut quartz and z-cut lithium niobate are found to be approximately equal.     

Acoustic study of adsorbed liquid layers

Interference measurements of small variations in the velocity and attenuation of surface acoustic waves (SAWs) are used to investigate water layers up to 15 nm thick adsorbed on the surface of a lithium niobate crystal. The frequency dependence of the relative variation of the SAW velocity with the adsorption of water vapor is measured in the range from 40 to 400 MHz. Acoustic techniques are used to experimentally estimate the frequency dependence of the dielectric constant of adsorbed water and its dipole relaxation frequency along with the dependence of the adsorption layer thickness on the water vapor pressure in the surrounding medium. A simple expression is proposed for calculating the dispersion of the SAW velocity in a solid loaded with a thin liquid layer.     

Surface acoustic wave studies of subsurface damage

We have measured the attenuation of surface acoustic waves on polished substrates and correlated the frequency-dependent attenuation with sub-surface damage. The damage was produced in single crystal lithium niobate samples by lapping and polishing with commercially available diamond compound. Surface acoustic wave attenuation on these samples was measured from 100 MHz to 1.5 GHz using interdigital transducers, thus covering depths ranging from 35 μm to 2 μm below the lithium niobate surface     

ZnO薄膜/金刚石在不同激励条件下声表面波特性的计算与分析

本文首先以刚度矩阵法为基础, 给出了ZnO薄膜/金刚石在四种不同激励条件下的有效介电常数计算公式. 然后以此为工具, 分别计算了多晶ZnO(002) 薄膜/多晶金刚石和单晶ZnO(002) 薄膜/多晶金刚石的声表面波特性, 并根据计算结果及设计制作声表面波器件的要求, 对ZnO膜厚的选择进行了详细地分析. 最后讨论了ZnO/金刚石/Si复合晶片可以忽略Si衬底对声表面特性影响时对金刚石膜厚的要求. 关键词： 声表面波 压电多层结构 有效介电常数 刚度矩阵法     

Experimental study of acoustooptical interaction in lithium niobate in the frequency range from 7.5 to 10.5 GHz

Results of the studies of acoustooptical interaction in a lithium niobate crystal upon excitation of an elastic wave in the direction of the X-axis by a multielement piezoelectric transducer at frequencies about 10 GHz are presented. The experimental method is described. Frequency dependences of the diffracted light intensity and acoustic damping as well as the frequency resolving power are studied. Damping of longitudinal acoustic waves in X-cut lithium niobate is measured to be 1.05±0.02 dB/cm GHz. The maximum diffraction efficiency reached 1% for 1 W of electromagnetic power supplied. The frequency bandwidths at the levels of 3 and 6 dB of the maximum value are 2.5 and 3 GHz, respectively. The frequency resolution is 15 MHz at the frequency of 9 GHz.     

Surface acoustic waves at a free-metallized interface

Light scattering was used to study surface acoustic waves at a free-metalized interface on piezoelectric lithium niobate. An interaction region of several acoustic wavelengths was observed in which a reflected surface wave and a continuous spectrum of bulk waves are generated.     

Acoustic waves in structure "piezoelectric plate-polymeric nanocomposite film"

Paper is devoted to the investigation of SH(0) acoustic waves propagating in structure "piezoelectric plate-polymeric nanocomposite film". The analysis was carried out by the example of the polymeric nanocomposite film based on high-pressure polyethylene with various contents of CdS nanoparticles and lithium tantalate and lithium niobate plate. The resonant attenuation of investigated waves for the certain ratios of plate and film thicknesses was found. The obtained results open the prospects of the development of structures for SH(0) waves consisting of nanocomposite polymeric substrates and thin piezoelectric plates. Such structures may be useful for development of various thermostable chemical and biological sensors and signal processing devices.     

The use of piezoelectric film and ultrasound resonance to determine the complete elastic tensor in one measurement.

The ultrasonic and elastic properties of materials are conventionally measured using quartz, lithium niobate, etc., transducers and a pulse-echo technique with the transducer driven at resonance. Problems with the technique include transducer ringing, transducer-sample coupling, parallelism of sample faces, beam diffraction, and the necessity of remounting transducers in order to measure all of the elastic constants. Usually, these problems can be minimized, but with samples that are only a fraction of a millimeter in size, conventional ultrasound measurements become difficult if not impossible. However, nearly all of these problems may be avoided if a resonance technique is used, and all of the elastic constants may be determined with a single measurement. For the broadband response and minimum transducer loading required for a resonance measurement in a small sample, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) piezoelectric film (as thin as 9 microns) is ideally suitable.     

Study of ferrobielastic twinning in quartz under conditions of uniaxial pressure by the compound acoustic resonator method

The compound acoustic resonator method is used to study the phenomenon of the ferrobielastic transition in single crystals of quartz subjected to uniaxial pressure. Toward this end, a layered structure consisting of an aluminum film/zinc oxide film/aluminum film sandwich was deposited on one of the surfaces of an X-cut plane-parallel quartz plate. This structure served as an electromechanical transducer in such a way that the entire system acted as a multifrequency acoustic resonator. Uniaxial pressure was applied perpendicular to the direction of propagation of the acoustic waves and caused a growth of the frequencies of the resonance peaks of the structures, indicating a change in the velocity of the acoustic waves. The ferrobielastic phase transition, which arises at some threshold pressure (the ferrobielastic switching effect), is characterized by a discontinuous drop in the frequencies of the resonance peaks. The variation of the resonator frequency both below and above the switching threshold correlates with the variation of the so-called “natural” sound velocity determined by the pressure-dependent elasticity constants of the material. The observed frequency jump of the resonance peaks is due mainly to the relatively abrupt change in the dimensions of the crystal. The results of the acoustic measurements allow reliable recording of the switching effect and a study of its properties. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 39, 290–294 (February 1997)     

Transmission of surface acoustic waves through the interface based on discontinuity of electrical boundary conditions on surface of potassium niobate

This paper presents theoretical investigation of the propagation of surface acoustic waves (SAWs) across the boundary between metallized (electrically shorted) and unmetallized (electrically open) regions on the surface of potassium niobate crystals. Potassium niobate is a very strong piezoelectric material and has the interesting property that only one type of SAW, namely a Rayleigh wave, can exist on unmetallized surface, where as two types of SAWs, namely Rayleigh and Bleustein-Gulyaev (BG), can exist on a metallized surface. Analysis shows that the Rayleigh wave propagates through the interface with very little change in amplitude or polarization. On the other hand, almost total reflection of the BG wave is expected. Details of the theoretical analysis and calculated results will be presented.     

Investigation of acoustic waves of higher order propagating in plates of lithium niobate

This paper presents theoretical investigation of higher order acoustic plate waves propagating in single crystals of lithium niobate. The dependencies of wave velocity and electromechanical coupling coefficient of antisymmetric, symmetric, and shear horizontal modes on the parameter hf (h=plate thickness, f=operating frequency) are calculated as a function of propagation direction on X-, Y-, and Z-cut lithium niobate plates. It is found that several modes can provide values of K2 that are much greater than can be obtained with surface acoustic waves (SAWs). For example, K2 as high as 0.26 and 0.38 can be obtained from SH1 and A2 modes, respectively. This compares with a maximum value of K2=0.055 for SAWs. It is further shown that there are several crystal cut and propagation directions that can allow efficient excitation and detection of a single mode with minimal interference due to other modes.     

Electrical Control of the Frequencies of a Fabry–Perot Acoustic Resonator

The effect electronic tuning has on the frequency of the acoustic resonance of an acousto-optic modulator intended for active laser mode locking is studied theoretically and experimentally. The problem of exciting a Fabri–Perot acoustic resonator with a plate-like piezoelectric transducer is solved in the approximation of plane acoustic waves, with allowance for the real parameters of the HF generator and the matching elements of the transducer and the generator. Expressions for the basic electrical and acoustic parameters are obtained. Theoretical analysis confirms the frequency shift effect of acoustic resonances, observed earlier experimentally upon varying the matching electrical elements. The experiment is performed using an acousto-optic quartz cell and a lithium niobate transducer.