We all know that light and sound are wave phenomena, but their types are very different. Light is electromechanical in nature, while sound is mechanical. Light can travel in a vacuum, and sound needs some kind of medium to travel.So it may seem difficult Use sound to modify light, But with the right equipment, this is actually very easy.
It may be simple, if you are used to throwing lasers around and terms such as “acousto-optic tunable filter” will trip over your tongue, like [Les Wright]. AOTF is a device that receives radio frequency input and applies it to a piezoelectric transducer combined with a tellurium oxide crystal.The RF signal excites the transducer and makes TeO vibrate2 Crystal and set a standing wave in it. The alternating bands of compressed and expanded material within the crystal are like a diffraction grating. Changing the excitation frequency will also change the frequency of the filter.
Explore the ways in which sound can bend light, [Les] A commercial AOTF was selected from the remaining market. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have an RF driver, but it doesn’t matter-some quick eBay purchases put the required RF generator and power amplifier on his workbench. The module enters the enclosure, making the driver more like a musical instrument, rather than a one-off, with a beautiful multi-turn potentiometer and a vernier knob for precise filter adjustment. It’s really cool to watch the output beam change color under the turning of the knob, and it’s even cooler to realize how it works.
We have seen a lot [Les]’The most recent optical projects, from the homemade TEA laser to the removal of the Bayer filter from the digital camera, each one is as impressive as the previous one!