Bragg acoustooptic diffraction by a frequency-modulated acoustic wave: Angular splitting of the diffraction order

The Bragg acoustooptic diffraction by a frequency-modulated acoustic wave is studied under the condition that the size of the light spot exceeds the spatial period of the modulating function. It is found that the Bragg diffraction order can be split into several independent beams. The total number, directions, and intensities Of these beams are determined by the modulation parameters. The splitting effect is used in the development of modulators for imaging systems that utilize high-power lasers.