Acoustooptic modulation element and system for acoustooptically carrying

Abstract

Responsive to a plurality of parallel light beams and electric signals corresponding to the parallel light beams, an acoustic modulation element produces output light beams modulated by acoustic waves resulting from the electric signals. The element comprises a single acoustooptic medium block receiving the parallel beams on a first surface thereof and emitting the output light beams from a second surface opposite to the first surface. A plurality of transducer units are laid in parallel on a third surface of the block between the first and the second surfaces along the respective parallel beams so as to propagate the acoustic waves into the block when activated by the electric signals. The block may have a fourth surface opposite to the third surface and arcuately or triangularly recessed towards the third surface. Preferably, the transducer units are mounted on plateaus isolated from each other by a channel formed between two adjacent ones of the plateaus, in order to avoid interferences of the acoustic waves. The element is for use in combination with a beam splitter member for producing the parallel beams in response to a single light beam.