Experimental determination of full matrices of the piezo-optic and elasto-optic coefficients for PbGeO crystals.

We determine full matrices of piezo-optic and elasto-optic coefficients for lead germanate crystals, , using Dixon-Cohen and interferometric methods. Two different types of samples are studied, single- and multi-domain. We show that the correct data for the crystals can be obtained only with single-domain samples, since the domain structure induces a number of features that make the final results unreliable.

Acousto-optic interaction between circularly polarized optical eigenwaves: example of AgGaS crystals.

We analyze acousto-optic (AO) diffraction occurring at the light wavelength of a so-called "isotropic point" in AgGaS crystals. It is shown that a natural optical activity, which manifests itself as circular birefringence at the isotropic point, can lead to two different types of AO Bragg diffraction, isotropic and anisotropic. The first type concerns the interaction of circularly polarized optical eigenwaves with the same sign of rotations of their electric-field vectors.

Acousto-optic interaction in alpha-BaB(2)O(4)and Li(2)B(4)O(7) crystals.

Experimental studies and analysis of acousto-optic diffraction in alpha-BaB(2)O(4) and Li(2)B(4)O(7) crystals are given. Ultrasonic wave velocity, elastic compliance and stiffness coefficients, and piezo-optic and photoelastic coefficients of alpha-BaB(2)O(4) and Li(2)B(4)O(7) crystals are determined. The acousto-optic figure of merit has been estimated for different possible geometries of acousto-optic interaction.