One of the main challenges for users applying an AOTF as a commercial off-the-shelf component for optical wavelength filtering, is the lack of detailed manufacturing information on critical parameters. Information such as diffraction angles, the precise RF driving frequencies req
...
One of the main challenges for users applying an AOTF as a commercial off-the-shelf component for optical wavelength filtering, is the lack of detailed manufacturing information on critical parameters. Information such as diffraction angles, the precise RF driving frequencies required for momentum-matching conditions, as well as the data for each wavelength across a certain optical spectrum is not always easily available. To obtain this information, users must perform physical tests to configure the optimal frequencies, diffraction angles, and incidence angles for each wavelength of interest which is labor-intensive and costly.This research uses an optimization algorithm applied to an analytical model which can characterize key angles related to the AOTF’s crystallographic axis, such as the crystallographic axis angle θc, the tilt-angle α, as well as facet inclination angles β and γ. First, diffraction testing on an AOTF is done, by recording both output ray angles and the momentum-matching frequency. Then the optimization algorithm is chosen and applied to the analytical model to determine the optimal parameters for θc, α, γ, and β. With these parameters, the AOTF’s behavior can be extrapolated to multiple wavelengths, which not only saves time, but also enables more versatile planning of optical setups.