Abstract
The modulation of light beams by surface acoustic waves (SAW) in periodically modulated photonic materials is investigated. The periodic modulation allows for new scattering processes which can improve the efficiency of SAW-based modulators, as proposed by P. St. J. Russell [Phys. Rev. Lett. 56, 596 (1986)]. In particular, scattering geometries with collinear propagation paths for the SAW and the light beam become possible using SAW wavelengths much larger than the light wavelength. We analyze the performance of such modulators based on semiconductor materials and examine the role of random fluctuations in structure dimensions on their operation.