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.     

Principles of X-ray diffractometry of surface acoustic waves

Theoretical fundamentals of modern methods of X-ray diffractometry of surface acoustic waves (SAW) are considered briefly. X-ray diffraction on SAW-modulated crystals under total external reflection conditions and the Bragg conditions for the YZ-cut of the LiNbO₃ crystal is considered. Agreement of theoretical and experimental results makes it possible to use them for SAW diagnostics. Possibilities and limitations of listed methods for determining the SAW field parameters are discussed.     

Calculation of Surface Acoustic Waves in Crystals Using the Global Optimization Procedure

The characteristics of surface acoustic waves are calculated using the procedure of searching for the global extremum of a multivariable function. This procedure is used to minimize the determinant of the boundary conditions to seek orientations in piezocrystals that are optimal from the viewpoint of acoustic-wave characteristics and to find pseudosurface (leaky) acoustic waves existing only in the vicinity of specific orientations.     

Visualization of surface acoustic wave scattering by dislocations

Stroboscopic X-ray topography at the synchrotron beam line was used to visualize the propagation of a 580 MHz surface acoustic waves (SAW) in LiNbO3 crystals. For this purpose, the X-ray bursts coming from the synchrotron storage ring with periodicity of 5.68 MHz were synchronized with the SAW frequency in a phase-locked mode. This method allowed us to "stop" the SAW in time and to observe the X-ray diffraction contrast caused by the dynamic deformation field of SAW. The X-ray topographic images showed well-resolved individual acoustic wave fronts of 6 microm SAW as well as their distortions due to SAW scattering by linear dislocations. Some of the images revealed an exceptional contrast of the concentric rings about the dislocation line, which is caused by coherent interaction of the secondary elastic waves. This contrast is similar to the Fresnel zones in optics, and this conclusion is confirmed by direct summation of secondary waves emitted by local elements of a vibrating dislocation string.     

Hypersound waves at the surface of CdZnTe crystals: The role of surface orientation and scattering at twin boundaries

The patterns of propagation of gigahertz surface acoustic waves (SAWs) are obtained for cuts of CdZnTe single crystals with different crystallographic orientations. By comparing the experimental patterns with the calculated ones, the existence of at least two SAW modes, one of which is a Rayleigh mode, is demonstrated. It is shown that the anisotropy of propagation of different SAW modes makes it possible to determine the local crystallographic orientation of the CdZnTe surface and detect local imperfections of the crystal structure. Strong anisotropic scattering of the Rayleigh wave by coherent twin boundaries is found.     

Anisotropy of sound velocity for a new PbB4O7 crystal as determined by the laser ultrasonic technique

4 O₇ crystal is a new nonlinear optical crystal. For the first time the anisotropy of the velocities of its longitudinal and surface acoustic waves (SAWs) are determined by laser ultrasonic technique. The velocities of surface waves for X-, Y-, and Z-cut crystals are also calculated. The theoretical calculations of slowness curves are in good agreement with experimental results. The SAW slowness curve is elliptical for Y- or Z-cut crystal wafers, and circular for an X-cut wafer. Received: 27 January 1997/Accepted: 30 July 1997     

The temperature coefficients of delay of surface acoustic waves in LGS and LGN crystals in a wide temperature range

Numerical analysis of the first-and second-order temperature coefficients of the delay of surface acoustic waves (SAWs) in LGS and LGN crystals was carried out. The calculations were performed along thermostable directions in a wide temperature range. The effect of an aluminium layer having a finite thickness on the SAW temperature characteristics is shown.     

The influence of surface and volume effects on the light diffraction by SAW at parallel interfaces

The paper deals with the results of numerical calculations and experiments concerned with the contribution, due to the surface rippling and fluctuations of the refractive index in the layer closest to the surface, to the light diffraction by surface acoustic waves (SAW). The analysis includes all basic types and geometries of parallel interaction taking as an example DADP crystals.     

Effect of surface acoustic waves on the catalytic decomposition of ethanol employing a comb transducer for ultrasonic generation

The effect of surface acoustic waves, generated on a silver catalyst using a comb transducer, on the catalytic decomposition of ethanol is examined. The comb transducer employs purely mechanical means for surface acoustic wave (SAW) transduction. Unlike interdigital SAW transducers on piezoelectric substrates, the complicating effects of heat generation due to electromechanical coupling, high electric fields between adjacent electrodes, and acoustoelectric currents are avoided. The ethanol decomposition reactions are carried out at 473 K. The rates of acetaldehyde and ethylene production are retarded when acoustic waves are applied. The rates recover to varying degrees when acoustic excitation ceases.     

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.     

Analysis of spurious bulk waves in ball surface wave device

We analyzed the acoustic waves propagating in a sphere to establish a useful guideline for the design of NDE apparatus and ball surface acoustic wave (SAW) device exploiting the diffraction-free propagation of SAW on a sphere. First, we calculated the laser-generated acoustic displacements both under ablation condition and under thermoelastic condition and verified experimentally the validity of the calculation. Next, the acoustic waves excited by out-of-plane stress and those excited by in-plane stress were compared. The results showed that when the out-of-plane stress was applied, the relative amplitudes of the bulk waves to that of the SAW were larger and the number of bulk waves was larger than that when the in-plane stress was applied, while the SAW had similar waveforms in each case. The ratio of the relative amplitude of the bulk waves for the out-of-plane stress and the in-plane stress was 3.1:1 at phi(1)=90 degrees and 1.67:1 at phi(1)=0 degrees. The large amplitude for the out-of-plane stress can be explained by wide directivities of bulk waves. Consequently, we found that it is necessary for ball SAW device to select a piezoelectric material and form of interdigital transducer so that the in-plane stress becomes dominant.     

Thermal stabilization of SAW devices by metal films

The characteristics of surface acoustic waves (SAW) propagating in a structure that consists of a metal layer overlying an YX-cut quartz crystal are numerically analyzed for a wide range of operating temperatures. It is shown that the presence of a metal film of a certain thickness on the surface of an YX-cut quartz crystal considerably improves the thermal stability of the characteristics of SAW propagating in such a structure.     

液体表面波振幅与激发深度的关系

研究了液体表面波振幅随激发深度的变化特性.采用探针式激发器激发,观察到液体表面波的衍射图样|改变激发深度,得到不同激发深度处的衍射图样|根据衍射图样分布与表面波振幅之间的关系并进行计算机编程,获得表面波振幅与激发深度之间的关系.用最小二乘法拟合,发现|液体表面波振幅随激发深度的增加而减小,并呈指数规律.     

Acoustic wave effects on catalysis: design of surfaces with artificially controllable functions for chemical reactions

The effects of surface acoustic wave (SAW) and resonance oscillation (RO) of bulk acoustic waves on the catalysis of metals were studied in an attempt to design a catalyst surface with artificially controllable functions for chemical reactions. In ethanol decomposition on a thin Cu film catalyst deposited on the propagation path of a shear horizontal leaky SAW, the SAW-on increased the activity for ethylene production remarkably but a little for acetaldehyde production. A poled ferroelectric z-cut LiNbO₃ with a thickness extensional mode RO (TERO) and a x-cut LiNbO₃ with a thickness shear mode RO (TSRO) were employed as a substrate, on which a thin Ag film catalyst was deposited. For ethanol decomposition, TERO increased ethylene production activity and the selectivity for ethylene production from 79 to 96%, whereas TSRO caused little activity enhancement for both ethylene and acetaldehyde production. The combination with the results of laser Doppler measurements showed that the activity enhancement and selectivity changes with SAW and RO of the acoustic waves are associated with dynamic large lattice displacement vertical to the surface.     

Growth and characterization of piezoelectric Sr3Ga2Ge4O14 crystals

Langasite (La3Ga5SiO14, LGS) and its isomorphs, have attracted much attention for their potential for surface acoustic wave (SAW) and bulk acoustic wave (BAW) applications. Among these homologous compounds, Sr3Ga2Ge4O14 (SGG) attracted our attention due to its superior piezoelectric properties and lower growth temperature. In this work, SGG single crystal has been grown successfully by the vertical Bridgman method with crucible-sealing technique. SGG wafers of 2 in. have been fabricated. The basic physical properties of SGG crystals were measured. The results demonstrate that piezoelectric and mechanical properties of SGG crystals are better than that of LGS crystal and it is expected to be a potential substrate material for SAW and BAW applications.     

Ray splitting in the reflection and refraction of surface acoustic waves in anisotropic solids

This paper examines the conditions for, and provides examples of, ray splitting in the reflection and refraction of surface acoustic waves (SAW) in elastically anisotropic solids at straight obstacles such as edges, surface breaking cracks, and interfaces between different solids. The concern here is not with the partial scattering of an incident SAW's energy into bulk waves, but with the occurrence of more than one SAW ray in the reflected and/or transmitted wave fields, by analogy with birefringence in optics and mode conversion of bulk elastic waves at interfaces. SAW ray splitting is dependent on the SAW slowness curve possessing concave regions, which within the constraint of wave vector conservation parallel to the obstacle allows multiple outgoing SAW modes for certain directions of incidence and orientation of obstacle. The existence of pseudo-SAW for a given surface provides a further channel for ray splitting. This paper discusses some typical material configurations for which SAW ray splitting occurs. An example is provided of mode conversion entailing backward reflection or negative refraction. Experimental demonstration of ray splitting in the reflection of a laser generated SAW in GaAs(111) is provided. The calculation of SAW mode conversion amplitudes lies outside the scope of this paper.     

Excitation of Surface Acoustic Waves and Lamb Waves at Superhigh Frequencies in a Diamond-Based Piezoelectric Layered Structure

Acoustical Physics - The authors have carried out an experimental and theoretical study of the propagation of surface acoustic waves (SAW)—Rayleigh, Sezawa and SH-modes, as well as Lamb waves...     

Surface-acoustic-wave-induced space-charge waves in electron-hole systems

Space-charge waves in an electron-hole system are studied, which are excited by a moving grating provided by a surface acoustic wave (SAW). The SAW induces a constant current that may change its sign, when a constant electric field is applied opposite to the wave propagation direction. Current resonances are predicted to appear, when the SAW wavelength and frequency match the ones of the space-charge wave.     

New optimal orientations for surface acoustic waves in langasite, langanite, and langatate piezoelectric crystals

Spatial regions and optimal orientations for surface acoustic waves in langasite, langanite, and langatate piezoelectric crystals are analyzed. An objective function for the search for optimal orientations in the piezocrystals is suggested. New optimal spatial regions and orientations that are promising for SAW-based devices are found.     

The effect of high-frequency acoustic wave vibration pattern on HKUST’s multi-level pore structure

The physical properties of materials are critical to their functionality, and the ability to control these properties using external forces is a significant challenge. In this study, we investigate the effect of three high frequency acoustic wave vibration patterns on the structure and morphology of MOF particles. Our results indicate that while regular vibration patterns generated by SAW can alter particle morphology, hybrid waves and Lamb waves with irregular vibration patterns can synthesise MOF crystals with multi-level pores. The vibration pattern of acoustic waves is shown to be a critical factor in controlling the particle morphology process. These results provide new insights into the precise control of crystal structure and the theory of crystallisation by particle attachment (CPA).