Polarization effects at collinear acousto-optic interaction

Collinear acousto-optic diffraction of an arbitrarily polarized optical radiation is studied theoretically and experimentally. It is shown that in the general case the diffracted light spectrum at the acousto-optic cell output consists of four components with different frequencies and polarizations. Beatings of these components lead to intensity modulation of the light passed through an output analyzer. Dependences of output intensity components on ultrasound frequency and acoustic power are examined for different orientations of the polarizer and the analyzer. Experimental investigations are carried out with a collinear acousto-optic cell fabricated with calcium molybdate single crystal.     

Bragg diffraction of light by ultrasonic shear waves in a plane-parallel layer

We have studied anisotropic Bragg diffraction of light by ultrasonic shear waves in an optically isotropic plane-parallel layer. We have established the analytical dependences of the relative intensities and polarization azimuths of reflected and transmitted diffracted waves on the intensity of the ultrasound, the layer thickness, the angle of incidence, and the polarization azimuth of the incident light. We show that rotation of the plane of polarization of the diffracted wave is determined by the different Fresnel reflection of the s and p polarized components of the incident light in the plane-parallel layer. We have determined that in mismatched acousto-optic structures, deep amplitude modulation of transmitted and reflected light is possible which is an order of magnitude greater than the usual modulation in matched structures.     

Acousto-optic modulator of depolarized laser radiation on the paratellurite crystal

An original acousto-optic modulator of depolarized laser radiation is based on a paratellurite crystal in the regime of anisotropic diffraction by a slow acoustic wave. Two acoustic waves with different frequencies are simultaneously excited in a single acousto-optic cell. Two diffraction orders of orthogonal polarizations at the exit from the cell are diffracted in opposite sides relative to the zero order. A polarization prism that is placed immediately behind the cell transforms the diffraction orders into a single output depolarized beam. The total efficiency is 96%.     

Influence of light polarization on characteristics of a collinear acoustooptic diffraction

The collinear acoustooptic diffraction of arbitrarily polarized radiation is studied. It is shown that the spectrum of diffracted light at the exit of an acoustooptic cell generally consists of four components, which have different frequencies and polarizations. Beats of these components lead to the modulation of the light passed through an analyzer installed at the exit of the system. Dependences of the amplitudes of components of the passed radiation on the frequency and power of an acoustic wave are studied for different orientations of the polarizer and analyzer.

     

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.     

Control of light polarization by acousto-optic diffraction from leaky acoustic wave in LiNbO₃

The acousto-optic control of light polarization due to diffraction by leaky acoustic waves in ZX-LiNbO? has been demonstrated. The randomly polarized light of 633 nm wavelength is converted by the anisotropic diffraction into two beams with mutually orthogonal polarizations, the relative intensities of which depend on the light incidence angle and acoustic frequency. Variation in acoustic frequency from 108 to 112 MHz rotates the polarization of the output optical beam by 90°. The acousto-optic control is accomplished entirely by electronic means and can be applied for implementation of fast polarization converters.     

Diffraction of light by an acoustic wave with three frequency components

Collinear light diffraction by three-frequency sound is investigated theoretically. The amplitude distributions of transmitted and diffracted light waves along the cell are calculated for different amplitudes of sound signals. The dependence of the intensity of principal diffraction peaks on the frequency difference between acoustic signal components is studied for different amplitude ratios of these components. It is shown that the character of this dependence for a wave being in synchronism differs substantially from that for two other waves characterized by detuning. The dependence of the amplitudes of principal and parasitic diffraction peaks on the efficiency of acoustooptical interaction is investigated. It is demonstrated that parasitic sideband components in diffracted light can play a considerable role if the diffraction efficiency is sufficiently high and exceeds 80%.     

Acousto-optic interaction of diverging Gaussian beams in anisotropic media

A strong acousto-optic interaction of bounded light and sound beams of a Gaussian shape is considered for different geometries permitting long-term interaction. The anisotropic spreading of an acoustic beam in the course of its propagation is taken into account. The spectra of light beams are described by a Gaussian-polynomial expression, and a set of differential equations is derived which allows one to describe various geometries of acousto-optic diffraction. It is demonstrated that the transmission function of an acousto-optic cell essentially depends on the ratio between the dimensions of the light and sound beams and on the angle between the propagation direction of the diffracted beam and that of the incident beam. The degree of spreading of the acoustic beam noticeably affects the suppression of the transmission side lobes.     

Collinear diffraction of restricted light beams by nonmonochromatic sound

The collinear diffraction of Gaussian light beams by a two-frequency sound beam is investigated theoretically. A set of equations relating the amplitudes of transmitted and diffracted waves is derived in the case of third-order nonlinearity. The distributions of light intensities along an acousto-optical cell are calculated at different ratios between the radii of the light and sound beams. The transmission curves for detuned light waves and combination components of the diffracted waves are constructed at different ratios between the radii of the light and sound beams. The changes in the dynamic range of an acousto-optical device are calculated for different diffraction efficiencies.     

基于声光效应的光束偏转控制理论研究

基于参量互作用观点及声光互作用原理,构建了入射光为高斯光并且存在声波吸收情况下的声光偏转器模型.基于此模型研究了超声波频率、声波功率和光束入射角对衍射光的影响.对比了有声波吸收和无声波吸收两种情况下上述三个参量对衍射光产生的不同影响.计算结果表明,同无声光吸收时相比,当存在声波吸收时,偏转器的衍射效率将减小,导致衍射波形畸变,光强峰值位置发生偏移.     

Polarizer-Free Acousto-Optic Monochromators

Monochromators based on a noncollinear acousto-optic filter without external polarizers have been studied. As an element to select an operating diffracted light beam, (1) a spatial filter-telescope and (2) an output plane of a filter crystal rotated in a diffraction plane have been used. In the latter case, dispersion of the acousto-optic filter crystal is compensated using a correcting prism made from the same crystal and placed behind an output filter plane along a path of a filtered light beam. As a result, the transmission coefficient of the monochromator is increased upon an effective compensation of the angular drift of the filtered light beam, the monochromator design is simplified, and its sizes are decreased.

     

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.     

Spatial structure of acousto-optic phase matching in uniaxial crystals

The spatial structure of Bragg angles and the transfer functions of an acousto-optic cell are calculated for the cases of isotropic and anisotropic light diffraction in a uniaxial crystal. Their change with ultrasound frequency is traced. The possibility of image processing by acousto-optic filtration of the spatial spectrum of an image is considered. The results of experimental visualization of the transfer functions of a calcium molybdate crystal cell are presented.     

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.     

基于布拉格声光衍射场的光强非均匀空间分布研究

为了保证合成孔径激光雷达测试中信号光的光束质量,从波动方程出发,推导出传统的衍射光源布拉格声光作用的耦合波方程。根据测试对光束质量的不同要求,借助有限差分方法分析衍射场光强的空间三维分布,发现声场振幅的不均匀分布会影响声光衍射场的光强分布,光强分布不均造成实验中信息光源的探测难度。通过光强空间分布研究增大有效通光孔径到3 mm,解决了声光调制器光束衍射质量问题,改进后的光束质量达到实验要求。该研究方法适用于改进声光器件工作参数。     

声光调制器偏振特性的实验研究

声光调制器利用声光晶体的声光效应对输入信号进行外调制。另外,实验结果也表明:由声光调制器出射的衍射光存在偏振态的改变。旋转起偏器的透振方向,拉曼—纳斯衍射的一级衍射光的偏振态发生变化;且各级衍射光的偏振度随着透振方向的改变而发生周期性的变化。     

Anisotropic light diffraction in crystals with a large acoustic-energy walk-off

The influence of energy walk-off in an acoustic beam on the characteristic of anisotropic Bragg diffraction of light has been investigated by the example of paratellurite crystal. The angular and frequency characteristics of acousto-optic diffraction have been calculated in wide ranges of ultrasound frequencies and Bragg angles using the modified Raman-Nath equations. It is shown that the walk-off of an acoustic beam may change (either widen or narrow) significantly the frequency and angular ranges. The calculation results have been experimentally checked on an acousto-optic cell made of 10.5°-cut paratellurite crystal.     

Acousto-optic diffraction at liquid-solid interface with light incident at critical angle

A new acousto-optic diffraction configuration is described. At a liquid-solid interface, a light beam is incident from the solid side of higher refractive index. The maximum acousto-optic diffraction of the Raman-Nath type occurs in the liquid with light incident at the critical angle. The angular dependence of the diffraction efficiency indicates accurate optical alignment requirement. Application to acoustic imaging is briefly discussed.     

Optimal conditions of the acousto-optic interaction in crystals with gyrotropy

The conditions of the acousto-optic interaction in the crystals with gyrotropy are considered. The optimal length of the acousto-optic interaction and the diffraction efficiency in the gyrotropic direction are calculated. The diffraction efficiency is determined by the coupled wave method which allows calculation of the field interaction in the gyrotropic crystal [1]. It is theoretically shown and experimentally confirmed that the diffraction efficiency in the gyrotropic direction is independent of incident light polarization, when the polarization plane rotates by 45° along the interaction length.     

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.