Expanding the Frequency Tuning Range of Surface Acoustic Wave Devices

The article describes a method for expanding the operating frequency tuning range of a surface acoustic wave (SAW) device. In a SAW device with a sound guide made of a monocrystalline piezoelectric and a dielectric plate with two interdigital transducers, the tuning range of its operating frequency is significantly expanded. This is based on the angular dependence of the phase velocity of propagation on changes in the mutual angular position relative to the crystallographic axis of the main elements of the device. This is achieved by additionally introducing another IDT system, an optoelectronic pair, and a switching shutter. The use of this proposed method allows for a significant (by ~2 times) increase in the frequency tuning range of SAW devices compared to analogues, which is very important, particularly for radars.