Patent ID: 11940712
Assignee: REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G  H | IPC G  H

Claim 19:
20. An acousto-optic device comprising:
a first acousto-optic layer having a substantially planar shape defining an x-y plane, the first acousto-optic layer functioning as an optical waveguide to optical waves propagating in the x-y plane, the first acousto-optic layer functioning as an acoustic waveguide to acoustic waves propagating in the x-y plane, the first acousto-optic layer having an asymmetry about the x-y plane, the first acousto-optic layer having a front face and a back face both oriented within the x-y plane;
a light source optically coupled to the first acousto-optic layer and configured to deliver light into the first acousto-optic layer propagating in the x-y plane;
a first acoustic source acoustically coupled to the first acousto-optic layer and configured to deliver a first acoustic energy into the first acousto-optic layer propagating in the x-y plane, the first acoustic source configured to adjust a wavelength of the first acoustic energy; and
a second acoustic source acoustically coupled to the first acousto-optic layer and configured to deliver a second acoustic energy into the first acousto-optic layer propagating in the x-y plane, the second acoustic source configured to adjust a wavelength of the second acoustic energy, the second acoustic source positioned to deliver the second acoustic energy to the intersection, thereby providing the intersection between the light, the first acoustic energy, and the second acoustic energy,
the light source and the first acoustic source are positioned to provide an intersection between the light and the first acoustic energy,
the light at least partially scattering from the intersection out of the x-y plane, and
the light emerging from the front face in an amount that is at least 1% greater than the amount emerging from the back face due to the asymmetry of the first acousto-optic layer.