OPTICAL PROBING of ACOUSTIC SURFACE-WAVE HARMONIC GENERATION

The growth of nonlinearly generated harmonics of acoustic surface waves in LiNbO3 substrates has been observed directly by an optical probe. The attenuation of acoustic surface waves as a function of the level of input power and loss of energy to the nonlinearly generated harmonics is measured. The large nonlinear coupling to the high harmonics of surface acoustic waves, which is an encouraging sign for parametric amplification, may impose some limitations on linear devices at high power levels. © 1970 The American Institute of Physics.