Guided-wave acousto-optic interaction on nonpiezoelectric substrates

Guided-wave acousto-optic diffraction has been demonstrated on a silicon substrate for the first time. The surface acoustic wave is launched from a ZnO/Tab2O5/SiO2/Si multilayered structure, while a Ta2O5/SiO2/Si optical waveguide is used for the acousto-optic interaction. The measured diffraction efficiency is 3.3% per milliwatt of acoustic power. An order-better performance is possible with improved transducer geometry. The silicon-based guided-wave acousto-optic technology is preferred for eventual integration of both optical and electronic components for integrated optical applications such as rf spectrum analyzer and fiber-optical terminals. Experiments with a similar structure on a glass substrate is also reported.