Patent ID: 7463795

Claim:
An acousto-optic device that performs mode conversion of light at a wavelength determined by a surface acoustic wave propagating in the acousto-optic device, comprising: a light propagation part propagating light; a transducer electrode part provided with a plurality of transducer electrodes adapted to generate a plurality of surface acoustic waves in a plurality of ranges of wavelengths different and separate from each other, respectively, which combine to form a resulting surface acoustic wave; and a surface acoustic wave propagation part which propagates the resulting surfacea coustic wave causing interaction with the light propagating in the light propagation part, and thereby causing the acoustic-optic device to perform mode conversion of light propagating in the light propagation part at a wavelength determined by the resulting surface acoustic wave, wherein the combined surface acoustic wave provides a range of wavelengths at which the acousto-optic device is capable of performing mode conversion that is greater than a range provided by any of said plurality of surface acoustic waves taken individually.