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)     

Intermediate and Bragg acousto-optic interaction in elastically anisotropic medium

The Raman-Nath, intermediate and Bragg regimes of acousto-optic interaction in an acoustically anisotropic medium are theoretically examined in the paper. The general model of the interaction is extended over the case of an elastically anisotropic medium. Basic results of computer modeling of diffraction processes taking place in crystals are presented in the paper. The interaction of light and ultrasound is investigated in media with arbitrary elastic anisotropy in a wide range of the Klein-Cook and Raman-Nath parameters. The influence of the acoustic anisotropy on the process of light diffraction, especially on the light intensity in diffraction maxima, is also discussed.     

Wideband light diffraction on bulk acoustic waves in uniaxial crystals

We study diffraction of light on ultrasonic waves, excited by a system of interdigitial transducers, in uniaxial crystals. We show that wideband acoustooptical diffraction in trigonal crystals in the presence of additional anisotropy differs significantly from the isotropy of diffraction on a shear ultrasonic wave in the absence of it. We establish that an exact Bragg angle correction in a wide frequency retuning range is achieved owing to electrically induced anisotropy in the external electric field.     

The intermediate regime of light diffraction by ultrasound in planar gyrotropic optical waveguides in an external electric field

A theoretical investigation is carried out for an intermediate regime of optoacoustic interaction, close to the Bragg one, by ultasonic Rayleigh surface waves in gyrotropic planar waveguides in an external electric field. A system of equations of associated waves is presented which describes the planar optoacoustic interaction in intermediate, Raman—Nath, and Bragg regimes of diffraction by ultrasonic surface waves in gyrotropic crystals with electrically induced anisotropy. It is shown that the intermediate (transition) regime of optoacoustic interaction, which is characterized by an angular selectivity and by the presence of several diffraction maxima, is the basic regime of diffraction. In this case diffracted light is generally elliptically polarized with an ellipticity and polarization azimuth that depend on the external electric field intensity. Translated from Zhurrnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 66, No. 1, pp. 30–35, January–February, 1999.     

Light diffraction on acoustophotorefractive holographic gratings

The intermediate regime of light diffraction on acoustophotorefractive holographic gratings written in cubic photorefractive crystals according to the synchronous-detection mechanism is studied. It is shown that the diffraction efficiency in sillenite-type gyrotropic crystals only slightly depends on the incident light polarization and the external electric field. The highest diffraction efficiency in nongyrotropic crystals was achieved for p-polarized writing and reading light and at a considerable external electric field strength.     

Specific features of polarization anisotropy in optical reflection and transmission of colloidal photonic crystals

This paper reports on the measurements (in linearly polarized light) of the transmission and reflection spectra of colloidal photonic crystals with three-dimensional and one-two-dimensional photonic band structure, i.e., opal films and Langmuir-Blodgett crystals with a refractive index contrast of ∼1.5: 1.0. It has been shown that the polarization anisotropy is enhanced considerably in the diffraction resonance range both in transmitted and reflected light, and that the anisotropy in the resonance range can be as high as 99%. The interaction of photonic crystal eigenmodes has been found to affect the polarization anisotropy. The assumption has been made that the coincidence of the maxima in polarization anisotropy of the resonant and nonresonant light reflection in colloidal crystals originates from the disorder in their lattices. The generality of the results obtained is confirmed by the fact that the polarization anisotropy manifests itself in the same way in colloidal crystals with different lattice symmetries.     

Polarization anisotropy of optical transmission in opals and Langmuir-Blodgett crystals

The transmission spectra of thin-film colloidal photonic crystals with three-dimensional and one-dimensional-two-dimensional photonic energy band structures, i.e., opals and Langmuir-Blodgett crystals with a refractive index contrast of ∼1.5: 1.0, have been measured in linearly polarized light. It has been demonstrated that the polarization anisotropy in the light transmitted through the crystal is uniquely related to the diffraction resonance and that the degree of polarization can exceed 90%. A higher degree of polarization is provided by lattices that are characterized by a smaller attenuation of light polarized in the plane of incidence. It has been revealed that the diffraction resonances from the crystal planes for which the dispersions are in anticrossing with the dispersion of the growth planes acquire the same anisotropy. The general character of the results obtained has been confirmed by the fact that the polarization anisotropy identically manifests itself in colloidal crystals that have different symmetries and lattice orderings.     

Polarization-Independent Ultrasonic Modulation of Light in Gyrotropic Cubic Bismuth Germanate Crystals

An intermediate regime of light diffraction by ultrasound propagating along the [001] and [110] axes of a gyrotropic cubic bismuth germanate crystal is investigated. The possibility of polarization-independent light modulation in the intermediate regime of diffraction close to the Bragg regime is shown. The dependences of the diffraction efficiency on the incident light polarization azimuth at different ultrasonic wave intensities are given.     

Optical Anisotropy of Photonic Crystals of Cubic Symmetry Induced by Multiple Diffraction of Light

The optical spectra of Bragg reflection from opal-like photonic crystals under conditions of the resonant enhancement of the multiple diffraction of light have been studied experimentally and theoretically using the photonic crystal structures prepared of monodisperse polystyrene globules. It is shown that the reflection signal registered in mutually orthogonal configurations of the polarizer and analyzer is related to the intrinsic optical anisotropy of the crystals and is a specific manifestation of the multiple Bragg diffraction in three-dimensional photonic crystals.     

Determination of the Space-Charge Field Amplitude by the Phase Modulation Method

Results of experimental and theoretical investigations into the conversion of the phase modulation of light into its intensity modulation in photorefractive crystals are presented. Based on the vector diffraction theory, an analytical expression describing a phase demodulation in crystals in an external electric field applied in an arbitrary direction is derived. The phase demodulation is used to determine the space-charge field amplitude in cubic crystals. It is demonstrated that the space-charge magnitude measured in GaP and Bi₁₂TiO₂₀ crystals is less than that predicted by the Kukhtarev single-level model.     

Wide-aperture acousto-optic interaction in birefringent crystals

Regularities of the wide-aperture mode of light diffraction by acoustic waves in crystals with different values of birefringence are considered. The diffraction has been investigated theoretically and experimentally with the aim of applying it in acousto-optic filters used in processing uncollimated optical beams and images. It is proved that the main filtration parameters depend on the birefringence of crystals used in processing luminous fluxes. By the example of wide-aperture filters based on paratellurite, magnesium fluoride, and potassium dihydrogen phosphate crystals, it is shown that the choice of crystals with high birefringence may increase the maximum attainable angular aperture and throughput of devices. It is also proved that application of crystalline compounds of mercury and tellurium (characterized by high optical anisotropy) in filters increases spectral resolution and improves the quality of filtered images.     

Amplitude-Phase Effects in Acousto-Optical Interaction in Gyrotropic Cubic Crystals

The amplitude-phase features of an intermediate regime of light diffraction on ultrasound in gyrotropic cubic crystals have been investigated. It is established that in the gyrotropic medium excited by ultrasound two coupled phase lattices of photoelasticity appear as a result of the rotation of the polarization planes of interacting waves. These lattices determine the polarization and energy characteristics of a diffracted light. For a gyrotropic cubic crystal of bismuth germanate, good agreement between the theoretical and experimental dependences of the efficiency of diffraction on the ultrasonic intensity in the intermediate regime close to the Bragg regime of diffraction is obtained.     

On the theory of diffraction of light in photonic crystals with allowance for interlayer disordering

Electrodynamic Green’s functions are used to construct an analytical theory of the Bragg diffraction of polarized light in photonic crystals having a close-packed structure. For opal-based photonic crystals, the Bragg diffraction intensity is calculated with allowance for permittivity periodic modulation and for the presence of an optical crystal boundary and interlayer disordering, which usually appears during sample growth. A comprehensive study is made of the effect of the structure disorder caused by the random packing of growth layers on diffraction. For a random constructed twinned fcc structure, the average structure factor and the scattering (diffraction) cross sections (which are dependent on the linear polarization of the incident and scattered waves) are calculated. Numerical examples are used to show that the theory developed can be applied to analyze and process experimental diffraction patterns of real photonic crystals having a close-packed structure disordered in one direction.     

Diffraction properties of four-petal Gaussian beams in uniaxially anisotropic crystal

Propagation properties of polarized four-petal Gaussian beams along the optical axis of uniaxially anisotropic crystals were investigated. Based on the paraxially vectorial theory of beam propagation, analytic expressions of the diffraction light field were obtained. The effects of the anisotropy on the polarization properties of the diffracted four-petal Gaussian beams have also been explained by numerical method. The results elucidate that the linear polarization state and the symmetry of the incident beams cannot be kept during propagation in anisotropic crystals.     

The Bragg Diffraction of Light at Acoustophotorefractive Holographic Gratings in Gyrotropic Cubic Crystals

We investigate diffraction of light at phase holographic-type gratings recorded by a piezoactive ultrasonic wave in gyrotropic cubic photorefractive crystals. We show that the efficiency of diffraction at a holographic grating can be increased substantially by applying a d.c. field to a crystal under the conditions of a longitudinal electrooptical effect; elliptical polarization of diffracted light is determined by electrically induced anisotropy of a crystal in the piezofield of a photorefractive grating, by the external electric field, detuning of phase synchronism, gyrotropy of the crystal, ultrasound frequency, and the time of recombination of charge carriers.     

Features of acousto-optic interaction in uniaxial gyrotropic crystals

The features of noncollinear acousto-optic interaction in gyrotropic crystals in the intermediate diffraction regime and the regime of Bragg diffraction were investigated. The dependence of the efficiency of diffraction in gyrotropic paratellurite, tellurium, and quartz crystals on the intensity of the ultrasonic wave, acousto-optic interaction length, and incident-light polarization was investigated. It is shown that the gyrotropy of the crystal is responsible for the appearance of a multiple-peak structure of the Bragg maximum. It has been established that in the case of propagation of incident and diffracted waves in the vicinity of the optical axis of the crystal, the diffraction efficiency is independent of the polarization state of the incident light. The results of theoretical calculations are in agreement with the experimental results obtained for uniaxial crystals. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 67, No. 1, pp. 105–110, January–February, 2000.     

Polarization properties of the acousto-optical interaction in a planar layer

Polarization features of the Bragg diffraction of light on ultrasound in a planar layer are studied. It is shown that the rotation of the polarization plane of the diffracted wave is determined by Fresnel reflection of the s and p components of the incident light and by anisotropy of the photoelastic effect in the crystalline layer perturbed by the ultrasound. It is established that the inclusion of an analyzer into the scheme of the acousto-optical interaction allows one to transform the rotation of the polarization plane of the diffracted wave transmitted through and reflected from the layer into the amplitude modulation of light.     

Bragg diffraction of light by a hypersound in gyrotropic cubic crystals

Noncollinear acousto-optical interaction of light beams in acoustically gyrotropic cubic crystals is considered. The dependences of the diffraction efficiency of the parameters of the optical and acoustical gyrotropy have been established. The attainability of the optimal efficiency of diffraction by shear ultrasonic waves due to the anisotropy electrically induced by the external field under conditions of longitudinal electro-optical effect is shown.__________Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 72, No. 1, pp. 80–84, January–February, 2005.     

Imaging single quantum dots in three-dimensional photonic crystals

Performing fluorescence wide-field microscopy we have imaged single semiconductor quantum dots deep inside a 3-dimensional photonic crystal prepared from colloidal polymer beads. Exploring the emission diffraction patterns in defocused images of quantum dots we demonstrate that the direction-dependent photonic stop band imprints an anisotropy to the angular emission of a single quantum dot. Hence a single, quasi-point-like emitter is manipulated to radiate its photons only to certain well-defined directions by means of the anisotropic light propagation in photonic crystals. The experiments thus provide new routes to evaluate local, frequency selective optical properties in 3-dimensional photonic crystals employing single emitters.     

Distinctive features of Raman-Nath scattering of light by sound in easy-plane antiferromagnets

This paper discusses the acoustic diffraction of light in the presence of an exchange-enhanced photoelastic interaction of aniferromagnetic origin resulting from acoustic modulation of the dielectric permittivity due to oscillations in the antiferromagnetism vector L. In the “easy-plane” type of antiferromagnet these oscillations arise from antiferromagnetoelastic interactions, and can be so large that the photoelastic interaction corresponding to them can be comparable in value to (or even exceed) the interaction in well-known nonmagnetic crystals actually used in acoustooptic devices. The advantage of antiferromagnets lies in the fact that both the diffraction angle and the amplitude of the diffracted light can depend on the magnitude and direction of a magnetic field in these materals. Here the Raman-Nath diffraction regime is discussed, which is probably more favorable from an experimental point of view for the antiferromagnets in question. It is shown that for these materials, the usual mechanism of photoelastic interaction associated with acoustic modulation of the index of refraction is accompanied by an additional mechanism arising from modulation of the polarization of the optical modes. Qualitative estimates are given for FeBO₃. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 112, 1464–1475 (October 1997)