Guided-Wave Two-Dimensional Acousto-Optic Scanner Using Proton-Exchanged Lithium Niobate Waveguide

Two-dimensional scanning of a 0.6328 mum guided-light beam has been realized using noncolinear acousto-optic (AO) coplanar Bragg diffraction together with colinear AO guided-mode to substrate radiation-mode conversion in a Z-cut Xpropagation LiNbO3 proton-exchanged (PE) waveguide. The two surface acoustic (SAW) waves utilized are at the center frequencies of 500 and 200 MHz, propagating in the Y and X axes, respectively. Two-dimensional scanning of approximately 720 resolvable light beam spots, namely, 18 40 (horizontal vertical) scanning, has been demonstrated using a light beam of 1.0 mm aperture. The total number of resolvable beam spots can be greatly increased from 720 by simply utilizing SAW transducers of larger bandwidth and a light beam of greater aperture. It should also be possible to significantly increase the diffraction efficiency from 3 % by optimizing the parameters of the PE waveguide and the SAWs.