2D scanning system of the acousto-optical deflector with high diffraction efficiency

The paper considers advantages and special features of an acousto-optic method for the development of a functional device for spatial and temporal control of laser light and reports results of investigations to create a two-directional acousto-optic laser scanner with diffraction efficiency as high as 80 percent or better. An acousto-optic deflector on a paratellurite crystal operating under the Bragg diffraction condition with a lithium niobate piezoelectric acoustic transducer was developed and tested experimentally. The results of this work can serve as a basis for the development of prototype functional acousto-optic devices for spatial and temporal control of laser light and their application to create laser television images.

Дифракция света на ультразвуке в пространственно периодическом акустическом поле

Characteristic features of anisotropic light diffraction in a spatially periodic acoustic field created by a sectioned piezoelectric transducer with antiphase excitation of adjacent sections are studied theoretically. The numerical calculation is carried out for a cell of a paratellurite crystal with a shear acoustic mode propagating at an angle of 3° to the (001) plane of the crystal. It is shown that this type of acoustooptic interaction has some interesting features that can be used when developing acoustooptic devices, in particular, modulators of nonpolarized light.