Acousto-optic guided-light beam device

Claim 2

An acousto-optic light deflector comprising, in combination a substrate having an optical waveguide formed along one boundary surface thereof; means for coupling a light beam into said substrate such that said light beam normally travels through said waveguide along a predetermined path; means for launching a pair of surface acoustic waves along said boundary surface in directions such that both surface acoustic waves simultaneously change the index of refraction of a portion of said path whereby said light beam is deflected therefrom; and means for extracting said deflected light beam from said substrate.

Claim 3

In an arrangement as defined in claim 1 wherein said surface acoustic waves have different frequencies.

Claim 4

In an arrangement as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for launching said pair of surface acoustic waves includes a pair of interdigital transducers located on said boundary surface and having different center frequencies; and means for exciting one of said transducers with an AC signal having a particular phase and the other of said transducers with the same AC signal but with the phase thereof shifted with respect to that of the AC signal exciting said one transducer.

Claim 5

In an arrangement as defined in claim 3 wherein the phase relationship between the signals exciting said transducers is such that Bragg diffracted light from each surface acoustic wave interfers constructively.

Claim 6

An acousto-optic light deflector comprising, in combination an optical waveguide having a boundary surface; means for introducing a light beam into said waveguide such that said light beam normally travels therein along a particular path; a pair of interdigital transducers formed on said boundary surface and having different center frequencies; said transducers being positioned such that the surface acoustic waves launched by said transducers when they are excited cause Bragg diffraction of said light beam; means for simultaneously exciting both transducers such that the Bragg diffracted light from each surface acoustic wave interferes constructively; and means for extracting said Bragg diffracted light from said waveguide.

Claim 7

An acousto-optic light deflector comprising, in combination an optical waveguide having a boundary surface; means for introducing a light beam into said waveguide such that said light beam normally travels therein along a particular path; a pair of interdigital transducers formed on said boundary surface and having different center frequencies; said transducers being positioned such that the surface acoustic waves launched by said transducers when they are excited cause Bragg diffraction of said light beam; means for simultaneously exciting both transducers such that the Bragg diffracted light from each surface acoustic wave interferes constructively; and means for extracting said Bragg diffracted light from said waveguide.

Claim 8

An acousto-optic light deflector comprising, in combination an optical waveguide formed along one boundary surface of a substrate; means for coupling a light beam into said waveguide such that said beam travels through said waveguide along a given path; means for launching at least two tilted surface acoustic waves along said boundary surface in directions such that both waves change the index of refraction of a portion of said path so that Bragg diffraction of said light beam occurs and said beam is deflected from said given path; and means for coupling said deflected light beam from said waveguide.

Claim 9

An acousto-optic light deflector comprising, in combination an optical waveguide formed along one boundary surface of a substrate; means for coupling a light beam into said waveguide such that said beam travels through said waveguide along a given path; means for launching at least two tilted surface acoustic waves along said boundary surface in directions such that both waves change the index of refraction of a portion of said path so that Bragg diffraction of said light beam occurs and said beam is deflected from said given path; and means for coupling said deflected light beam from said waveguide.

Claim 10

In an arrangement as defined in claim 6 whereby said means for launching said two tilted acoustic waves includes a pair of interdigital transducers supported by said boundary surface and having different center frequencies; and means for exciting one of said transducers with an AC signal of a particular phase and the other of said transducers with the same AC signal but of a different phase.

Claim 11

In an arrangement as defined in claim 7 wherein the phase relationship between the AC signal exciting said one transducer and the AC signal exciting said other transducer is such that the Bragg diffracted light from each surface acoustic wave interfers constructively.

Claim 12

In an arrangement as defined in claim 6 wherein said means for launching said two tilted acoustic waves includes a pair of interdigital transducers mounted on said boundary surface and having different center frequencies, said transducers being positioned such that the acoustic surface waves produced by said transducers when they are excited intersect at an angle which is equal to the difference in the Bragg angles of the center frequencies of said transducers.