Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Corporation

Kimihiko Shibuya

Toshimi Nishiyama

Hisashi Minemoto

Isao Kidoguchi

Yasuo Kitaoka

Takayuki Negami

Hiroyuki Takeuchi

Yasuhito Takahashi

Yoshiaki Ishimura

The present invention provides an acoustooptic device usable even with light in the ultraviolet region, free from laser damage and optical damage, and excellent in acoustooptic performance and an optical imaging apparatus using the same. The acoustooptic device according to the present invention includes a high-frequency signal input part (), a transducer part (), and an acoustooptic medium (). A high-frequency signal input from the high-frequency signal input part () is converted into a mechanical vibration by the transducer part (), and an optical characteristic of the acoustooptic medium () varies depending on the mechanical vibration. The acoustooptic medium is formed of a Group III nitride crystal. The optical imaging apparatus according to the present invention includes a light source, an acoustooptic device, a driving circuit, and an image plane. Light from the light source is diffracted by the acoustooptic device in accordance with a signal from the driving circuit and the resultant diffracted light forms an image on the image plane. An acoustooptic medium of the acoustooptic device is formed of a Group III nitride crystal.

Acoustooptic device and optical imaging apparatus using the same

An acousto optic element comprises optically transparent acousto optic medium having light incoming plane, light outgoing plane facing light incoming plane, transducer joining plane, and inclined plane tilted to transducer joining plane and piezoelectric transducer on which two opposing planes i.e., electrode layers and are formed and the transducer is connected to transducer joining plane of acousto optic medium through one of the electrode layers, wherein a deposited layer or a coating layer is formed on at least one of ultrasonic transducer or the acousto optic medium, the layer preventing ultrasonic waves generated by oscillation of ultrasonic transducer leaking onto acousto optic medium as a leakage-ultrasonic wave and propagating there, thus obtaining a high light-fading ratio.

Acousto optic element

The present invention provides an ultraviolet acoustooptic device including: a radio-frequency signal input part; a transducer unit for converting a radio-frequency signal into a mechanical vibration; and an acoustooptic medium whose optical characteristic varies according to the mechanical vibration. In the ultraviolet acoustooptic device, light entering the acoustooptic medium is ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 380 nm or shorter, and the acoustooptic medium is formed of an oxide single crystal containing at least boron as a component of its unit cell, a LiNbOcrystal, or a LiNbOcrystal doped with MgO. Thus, an acoustooptic device can be obtained in which no laser damage nor optical damage is caused, and an ultraviolet acoustooptic device and an optical imaging apparatus using the same can be provided that do not necessarily require to be water-cooled.

Ultraviolet acoustooptic device and optical imaging apparatus using the same

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Kimihiko Shibuya