Acoustic resonance damping apparatus

Claim 2

A light beam modulator comprising: an electro-optic crystal for receiving an incident light beam and for modulating the beam propagating therethrough in response to an applied electric field by the electro-optic effect, the crystal having piezoelectrically induced acoustic vibrations in at least one direction within the crystal and having a plurality of faces, a first face of the plurality for receiving and transmitting an incident light beam, and acoustic vibration damping means positioned contiguous at least second and third substantially oppositely disposed faces of the plurality of crystalline faces and having substantially the same acoustic impedance as the electro-optic crystal so that the acoustic vibrations incident the interface between the crystal and the damping means are substantially transmitted into the damping means and dampened therein, wherein the acoustic vibration damping means form electrodes for applying an electric field to the electro-optic crystal.

Claim 3

A light beam modulator comprising: an electro-optic crystal for receiving an incident light beam and for modulating the beam propagating therethrough in response to an applied electric field by the electro-optic effect, the crystal having piezoelectrically induced acoustic vibrations in at least one direction within the crystal, and wherein the electro-optic crystal is formed by a plurality of adjacent polyhedrons, at least one of said polyhedrons having an electric field dependent index of refraction, the plurality of polyhedrons comprising a first polyhedron in the form of a substantially isosceles triangular prism and second and third polyhedrons in the form of substantially identical right triangular prisms, the second and third polyhedrons each being positioned contiguous a face of the first polyhedron so that the composite electro-optic crystal is in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped having a plurality of faces, a first face of the plurality for receiving an incident light beam, and acoustic vibration damping means positioned contiguous two oppositely disposed faces of each of the plurality of polyhedrons, the acoustic vibration damping means being composed of an electrical conductive material of substantially the same acoustic impedance as the adjacent electro-optic crystal so that the acoustic vibrations incident the interface between the crystal and the damping means are substantially transmitted into the damping means and dampened therein, the two oppositely disposed faces of each of the plurality of polyhedrons forming first and second oppositely disposed faces of the composite rectangular parallelepiped.

Claim 4

A light beam modulator comprising: an electro-optic crystal for receiving an incident light beam and for modulating the beam propagating therethrough in response to an applied electric field by the electro-optic effect, the crystal having piezoelectrically induced acoustic vibrations in at least one direction within the crystal, and wherein the electro-optic crystal is formed by a plurality of adjacent polyhedrons, at least one of said polyhedrons having an electric field dependent index of refraction, the plurality of polyhedrons comprising a first polyhedron in the form of a substantially isosceles triangular prism and second and third polyhedrons in the form of substantially identical right triangular prisms, the second and third polyhedrons each being positioned contiguous a face of the first polyhedron so that the composite electro-optic crystal is in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped having a plurality of faces, a first face of the plurality for receiving an incident light beam, and acoustic vibration damping means positioned contiguous two oppositely disposed faces of each of the plurality of polyhedrons, the acoustic vibration damping means being composed of an electrical conductive material of substantially the same acoustic impedance as the adjacent electro-optic crystal so that the acoustic vibrations incident the interface between the crystal and the damping means are substantially transmitted into the damping means and dampened therein, the two oppositely disposed faces of each of the plurality of polyhedrons forming first and second oppositely disposed faces of the composite rectangular parallelepiped.

Claim 5

The light beam modulator of claim 2 wherein the acoustic vibration damping means includes further acoustic vibration damping means disposed contiguous third and fourth oppositely disposed parallel faces of the composite rectangular parallelepiped.

Claim 6

A light beam modulator comprising: an electro-optic crystal for receiving an incident light beam and for modulating the beam propagating therethrough in response to an applied electric field by the electro-optic effect, the crystal having piezoelectrically induced acoustic vibrations in at least one direction within the crystal, the electro-optic crystal being formed by a plurality of adjacent polyhedrons, at least one of said polyhedrons having an electric field dependent index of refraction, acoustic impedance matching means positioned contiguous at least one face of each of the plurality of polyhedrons for transmitting the acoustic vibrations out of the contiguous electro-optic crystal into the acoustic impedance matching means, wherein the acoustic impedance matching means has at least one face thereof cut at the Brewster angle with respect to thE incident light beam so as to allow the light beam to propagate therethrough and to direct the acoustic vibrations incident thereon toward acoustic vibration absorbing means, and acoustic vibration absorbing means positioned contiguous the acoustic vibration damping means for absorbing the acoustic vibrations transmitted into the acoustic impedance matching means.

Claim 7

A light beam modulator comprising: an electro-optic crystal for receiving an incident light beam and for modulating the beam propagating therethrough in response to an applied electric field by the electro-optic effect, the crystal having piezoelectrically induced acoustic vibrations in at least one direction within the crystal, the electro-optic crystal being formed by a plurality of adjacent polyhedrons, at least one of said polyhedrons having an electric field dependent index of refraction, acoustic impedance matching means positioned contiguous at least one face of each of the plurality of polyhedrons for transmitting the acoustic vibrations out of the contiguous electro-optic crystal into the acoustic impedance matching means, wherein the acoustic impedance matching means has at least one face thereof cut at the Brewster angle with respect to thE incident light beam so as to allow the light beam to propagate therethrough and to direct the acoustic vibrations incident thereon toward acoustic vibration absorbing means, and acoustic vibration absorbing means positioned contiguous the acoustic vibration damping means for absorbing the acoustic vibrations transmitted into the acoustic impedance matching means.