Thin film acousto-optic devices

Abstract

In this paper, thin film acousto-optic devices are discussed in terms of (1) the unique features in theoretical calculations which arise from the use of guided wave structures, (2) the possible device configurations which may improve efficiency and speed, (3) the thin film material and fabrication problems, (4) the transducer efficiency bandwidth trade-off, and (5) a comparison with bulk acousto-optic devices and thin film electro-optic devices. Recent experimental results for thin film acousto-optic modulators and convolvers are included.