Surface Acoustic Wave Beam Research Articles

Strongly focused nonlinear surface acoustic wave beams in isotropic solids

A promising direction in the tailored control of quantum materials is the modification of their structure-function relationship via engineered laser-driven shock waves. In order to inform how the laser excitation should be tailored to optimize the effect of the shock waves, a model is desired for strongly focused nonlinear surface waves in crystals. A model was developed previously in the paraxial approximation for weakly diffracting nonlinear surface wave beams in isotropic solids [Shull et al., JASA 97, 2126 (1995)]. Harmonic generation and shock formation were investigated numerically in that work for sources with uniform amplitude distributions, with analytical solutions for the fundamental and second harmonic obtained for weakly focused Gaussian beams. Here, numerical results are reported for shock formation in focused nonlinear surface waves obtained using a model unrestricted by the paraxial approximation in order to accommodate strong focusing in isotropic solids. Removal of the restriction to isotropic solids is work in progress based on representation of the wave field in terms of its angular spectrum and a model for planar nonlinear surface waves in crystals [Hamilton et al., JASA 105, 639 (1999)]. [Work supported by the IR&D Program at Applied Research Laboratories.]

An integrable and configurable phononic beam splitter based on self-collimated surface acoustic waves

In this letter, self-collimated beam of surface acoustic waves (SAWs) based on phononic crystals (PnCs), made of cone-shaped micropillars attached on a half-space, are numerically demonstrated and utilized for device applications. The self-collimated SAW beam can be split by a geometric line defect in PnCs. Of special interest is that the energy ratio of self-collimated beams can be adjusted by varying the radius of the micropillars of the defect. As functional displays with scalability and integrability, a one-to-three beam splitter and a Mach–Zehnder interferometer of SAWs are designed by utilizing this mechanism, providing prospects for on-chip SAW sensing or signal filtering.

Acoustoelectric Study of Microwave-Induced Current Domains.

Surface acoustic waves (SAW) have been utilized to investigate the properties of a two-dimensional electron system subjected to a perpendicular magnetic field and monochromatic microwave radiation in the regime where the so-called microwave-induced zero-resistance states form. Contrary to conventional magnetotransport in Hall bar and van der Pauw geometries, the collimated SAW beam probes only the bulk of the electronic system exposed to this wave. Clear signatures appear in the SAW propagation velocity, corroborating that neither contacts nor sample edges are a root source for their emergence. By virtue of the directional nature of this probing method and with the assistance of theoretical modeling, we were able to demonstrate that the SAW response depends on the angle between its propagation vector and the orientation of domains that spontaneously form when zero-resistance is observed in transport. This confirms in unprecedented manner the formation of an inhomogeneous phase under these nonequilibrium conditions.

Experimental and numerical investigations of mechanical displacements in surface acoustic wave bounded beams

The present paper studies experimentally and numerically the surface acoustic wave (SAW) field on a piezoelectric substrate generated by interdigital transducers (IDT). On the one hand, mechanical displacements produced by the SAW are measured with the help of a laser Doppler vibrometer. On the other hand, mechanical displacements are computed by the two-dimensional finite element method in frequency domain followed by the spatial Fourier transform. Combining these two steps of computations results in the intended two-dimensional distribution of mechanical displacements on the substrate surface. The comparison of experimental and numerical data obtained for a series of different IDTs reveals that it is possible to estimate the shape of the SAW beam and the absolute value of mechanical displacement amplitude using only the basic parameters of the IDT and its electrical admittance measured by a network analyzer.

Multitransducer SAW Device Architecture for Passive Wireless Sensor Tags.

A new architecture of surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor tags with lower insertion loss and enhanced sensitivity is investigated. It efficiently employs two transducer arrays at the input and output of the acoustic channel, respectively. The improved sensitivity is attained due to a higher number of stronger constituent signals contributing constructively to the device response. An efficient matrix modeling approach is generalized to permit fast design and synthesis of the multitransducer sensor tags with arbitrary topologies. The modeling approach consistency is validated by energy balance. Several simulation examples of new 6-GHz SAW sensor tags, implemented on 128°YX-LiNbO3 substrate, are presented and compared against a conventional reflective delay line device. The effects of finite electrode resistivity and SAW beam diffraction are evaluated numerically, and the SAW sensor-tag design tradeoffs and principles are established.

A Facile and Flexible Method for On-Demand Directional Speed Tunability in the Miniaturised Lab-on-a-Disc

The Miniaturised Lab-on-a-Disc (miniLOAD) platform, which utilises surface acoustic waves (SAWs) to drive the rotation of thin millimeter-scale discs on which microchannels can be fabricated and hence microfluidic operations can be performed, offers the possibility of miniaturising its larger counterpart, the Lab-on-a-CD, for true portability in point-of-care applications. A significant limitation of the original miniLOAD concept, however, is that it does not allow for flexible control over the disc rotation direction and speed without manual adjustment of the disc’s position, or the use of multiple devices to alter the SAW frequency. In this work, we demonstrate the possibility of achieving such control with the use of tapered interdigitated transducers to confine a SAW beam such that the localised acoustic streaming it generates imparts a force, through hydrodynamic shear, at a specific location on the disc. Varying the torque that arises as a consequence by altering the input frequency to the transducers then allows the rotational velocity and direction of the disc to be controlled with ease. We derive a simple predictive model to illustrate the principle by which this occurs, which we find agrees well with the experimental measurements.

Fluorescence activated cell sorting via a focused traveling surface acoustic beam.

Fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) has become an essential technique widely exploited in biological studies and clinical applications. However, current FACS systems are quite complex, expensive, bulky, and pose potential sample contamination and biosafety issues due to the generation of aerosols in an open environment. Microfluidic technology capable of precise cell manipulation has great potential to reinvent and miniaturize conventional FACS systems. In this work, we demonstrate a benchtop scale FACS system that makes use of a highly focused traveling surface acoustic wave beam to sort out micron-sized particles and biological cells upon fluorescence interrogation at ∼kHz rates. The highly focused acoustic wave beam has a width of ∼50 μm that enables highly accurate sorting of individual particles and cells. We have applied our acoustic FACS system to isolate fluorescently labeled MCF-7 breast cancer cells from diluted whole blood samples with the purity of sorted MCF-7 cells higher than 86%. The cell viability before and after acoustic sorting is higher than 95%, indicating excellent biocompatibility that should enable a variety of cell sorting applications in biomedical research.

Dependence of integrated acousto-optical devices with one and two modulated arms on the static phase difference.

In this paper, we develop an analytical model of an integrated acousto-optical (AO) device with arms modulated by a single surface acoustic wave beam. A comparison between one-arm and two-arm modulation is presented, which shows that two-arm modulation can significantly enhance modulation efficiency by an optimized design. A detailed analysis of the influence of static phase difference on the behavior of the AO devices has been provided, and some interesting results have been obtained. These will be helpful for an optimized design of AO devices for different functionalities.

Experimental methods to suppress random telegraph signal noise in acoustic charge transport nanostructure devices

AbstractWe present an experimental investigation of how the different operating parameters affect the random telegraph signal (RTS) noise in surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices. The altered parameters include: SAW power and frequency, phase difference between two counterpropagating SAW beams, and asymmetrical voltage applied to the two side gates of the quantum point contact. The results indicate that proper tuning of the relevant parameters can reduce the RTS noise, which would be beneficial for metrological applications. Building on the experimental results, physical models have been proposed to explain the reason why the effective reduction of the noise can be achieved.

Carrier Transport in GaAs Nanowires Using Surface Acoustic Waves

ABSTRACTThe oscillating piezoelectric field of a surface acoustic wave (SAW) is employed to transport photoexcited electrons and holes in GaAs nanowires (NWs) transferred to a SAW beam line on a LiNbO3 crystal. We show that carriers generated in the NW by a focused light spot can be acoustically transported to a second location, where they recombine emitting short light pulses. The results presented here demonstrate the high-frequency manipulation of carriers in NWs without the use of electrical contacts, which opens new perspectives for applications in opto-electronic devices operating at GHz frequencies.

Optimum cut orientation of piezoelectric substrate and propagation direction of SAW for rotation rate sensor

The effect of Coriolis and centrifugal forces on the propagation characteristics of surface acoustic waves (SAW) on a rotating piezoelectric substrate can be utilized for sensing rotation rate. In this paper, the relationship between SAW phase velocity and the rotation rate of the substrate is analyzed theoretically and numerically based on the coupling wave equations on anisotropic piezoelectric substrate with rotation effect. Partial wave theory and surface effective permittivity method are employed. Using LiNbO 3 as an example, some quantitative results of SAW rotation rate sensor, including free and metalized interfaces between substrate and free space in X-cuts, Y-cuts, and Z-cuts, are obtained. Furthermore, by considering comprehensively SAW rotation rate sensitivity with SAW excitation efficiency and beam steering, the optimum cut orientation of piezoelectric substrate and propagation direction of SAW for rotation rate sensor are presented. The research findings can provide theoretical guidance and simulation basis for the experimental research on SAW rotation rate sensor.

Surface-acoustic-wave counterflow micropumps for on-chip liquid motion control in two-dimensional microchannel arrays

Fully controlled liquid injection and flow in hydrophobic polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) two-dimensional microchannel arrays based on on-chip integrated, low-voltage-driven micropumps are demonstrated. Our architecture exploits the surface-acoustic-wave (SAW) induced counterflow mechanism and the effect of nebulization anisotropies at crossing areas owing to lateral propagating SAWs. We show that by selectively exciting single or multiple SAWs, fluids can be drawn from their reservoirs and moved towards selected positions of a microchannel grid. Splitting of the main liquid flow is also demonstrated by exploiting multiple SAW beams. As a demonstrator, we show simultaneous filling of two orthogonal microchannels. The present results show that SAW micropumps are good candidates for truly integrated on-chip fluidic networks allowing liquid control in arbitrarily shaped two-dimensional microchannel arrays.

Efficient photon detectors using surface acoustic waves

An efficient photon detector based on the ambipolar transport of photogenerated electrons and holes by surface acoustic waves (SAWs) has been investigated. In the experiments, the photogenerated electrons and holes are separated and transported in a GaAs channel and electrically detected by a lateral p–i–n junction. We show that the acoustic transport efficiency improves by using biased metallic guides along the SAW beam to create independent transport channels for electrons and holes. By optimizing the photon absorption efficiency and the amplitude of the SAW field, we demonstrated overall transport efficiencies above 85% for transport lengths exceeding 200 μ m .

The effects of two counterpropagating surface acoustic wave beams on single electron acoustic charge transport

We present a comprehensive study of the effects of two counterpropagating surface acoustic waves on the acoustoelectric current of single electron transport devices. A significant improvement in the accuracy of current quantization is achieved as a result of an additional surface acoustic wave beam. The experiments reveal the sinusoidally periodical modulation in the acoustoelectric current characteristic as a function of the relative phase of the two surface acoustic wave beams. Besides, by using standing surface acoustic waves, the acoustoelectric current is detected which we consider as the so-called anomalous acoustoelectric current produced by acoustic wave mechanical deformations. This kind current is contributed to one component of the acoustoelectric current in surface acoustic wave device, which could enable us to establish a more adequate description of acoustoelectric effects on single-electron acoustic charge transport.

Electrical detection of ambipolar acoustic carrier transport by surface acoustic waves

We have investigated the efficiency of the ambipolar transport of photogenerated electrons and holes in (Al,Ga)As structures by surface acoustic waves (SAWs). In the experiments, the photogenerated electrons and holes transported by the SAW are collected by a lateral p-i-n junction and detected by electrometers. Carrier recombination during transport was also studied by detecting the photoluminescence emitted along the SAW path by the transported carriers. We show that the acoustic transport efficiency improves by using biased metallic guides along the SAW beam to create independent transport channels for electrons and holes. By optimizing the photon absorption efficiency and the amplitude of the acoustic fields, we demonstrated overall transport efficiencies above 85% for transport lengths on the order of 300 μm.

Improvement of Diffraction Properties in Waveguide-Type Acoustooptic Modulator Driven by Surface Acoustic Wave

A waveguide-type acoustooptic modulator (AOM) driven by a surface acoustic wave (SAW) in a tapered crossed-channel waveguide on a 128°-rotated Y-cut LiNbO3 substrate has been proposed for an optical wavelength of 1.55 µm. In this study, to improve the diffraction properties of the waveguide-type AOM, the dependences of the diffraction properties on the relative position of the SAW beam for the diffraction region were simulated using a beam-propagation method (BPM) and measured. By decreasing SAW beam width, although the input voltage needed to obtain the maximum diffraction efficiency increased, diffraction efficiency improved to 84% from the previous value of 65%. Furthermore, to obtain a lower driving voltage, the utilization of a unidirectional transducer was investigated for the AO interaction on a planar optical waveguide at an optical wavelength of 0.633 µm.

Quantized charge pumping by surface acoustic waves in ballistic quasi-1D channels

Adiabatic pumping of electrons induced by surface acoustic waves (SAWs) in a ballistic quasi-1D quantum channel is considered using an exactly solvable tight-binding model for non-interacting electrons. The single-electron degrees of freedom, responsible for acoustoelectric current quantization, are related to the transmission resonances. We study the influence of experimentally controllable parameters (SAW power, gate voltage, source-drain bias, amplitude and phase of a secondary SAW beam) on the plateau-like structure of the acoustoelectric current. The results are consistent with existing experimental observations.

An Improved 2.5 GHz Electron Pump: Single-Electron Transport through Shallow-Etched Point Contacts Driven by Surface Acoustic Waves

We present an experimental study of a 2.5 GHz electron pump based on the quantized acoustoelectric current driven by surface acoustic waves through a shallow-etched point contact in a GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure. At low temperatures and with an additional counter-propagating surface acoustic waves beam, up to n = 20 current plateaus at I = nef could be resolved, where n is an integer, e the electron charge, and f the surface acoustic waves frequency. In the best case the accuracy of the first plateau at 0.40 nA was estimated to be ΔI/I = ′25 ppm over 0.25 mV in gate voltage, which is better than previous results.

Application of photothermal effect to manufacture ultrasonic actuators (abstract)

Photothermal (PT) effect has been applied to manufacture disks [A. C. Tam, a lecture at the Institute of Acoustics, Nanjing University, People’s Republic of China (1996)] and magnetic head sliders for disk drives [A. C. Tam, C. C. Poon, and L. Crawforth, Analyt. Sci. 17, s 419 (2001)]. Now we apply the PT effect to manufacture ultrasonic motors (actuators). Recently, the ultrasonic actuators with different ultrasonic modes, such as Rayleigh (surface acoustic) mode, Lamb (plate) mode, etc., have been developed. We have designed and fabricated two rotary motors driven by surface acoustic wave (SAW) with different frequencies, but lower than 30 MHz [L. P. Cheng, G. M. Zhang, S. Y. Zhang, J. Yu, and X. J. Shui, Ultrasonics 39, 591 (2002)]. On the SAW motors (actuators), two Rayleigh wave beams were generated and propagating along the surface of a 128° YK-LiNbO3 substrate in opposite directions with each other as a stator, and a plastic disk with balls distributed along the circle of the disk was as a rotor. For miniaturizing the rotary SAW motors, and increasing the rotation velocity, the SAW frequency must be increased. Then we improve the manufacturing technology of the mechanical structure by PT effect instead of the conventional mechanical processes of the stator and rotor of the motor. A new type of rotary SAW motor (actuator) has been fabricated, in which both SAW beams with opposite propagating directions are excited by two pairs of interdigital transducers with the frequency between 30–50 MHz. In the surface of the stator (128° YX-LiNbO3 substrate), a hole with the depth about 500 μm is impinged by a focused pulsed Nd:YAG laser beam (PT effect) between two SAW propagating ways on the 128° YX-LiNbO3 substrate for fixing the axis of the motor, with the frequency between 30–50 MHz. In the bottom of the rotor (plastic disk), a lot of crown (flange) blocks with the high of 20–30 μm and the diameter of also 20–30 μm can be made by the focused pulsed Nd:YAG laser a focused continuous Ar+ laser heating (PT effect) for contacting with the stator. The symmetrical frictional force pairs produced between the crown blocks of the rotor with the local supporting SAW deformation points of the stator around the circle of the rotor to drive the motor to rotate. This kind of rotary SAW actuator can be applied to drive a recording head of HDD with satisfactory performance.

Imaging of carrier dynamics in semiconductor heterostructures by surface acoustic waves

Surface acoustic waves (SAW) are an ideal tool for the noninvasive detection of conductivity and carrier distributions in otherwise unstructured semiconductor systems. Here we demonstrate a technique that allows for spatially resolved experiments with a resolution of a few acoustic wavelengths. Extremely narrow acoustic paths, excited by tapered interdigital transducers, are employed to probe conductivity profiles. The method is used to resolve the spatial form of a photogenerated electron–hole plasma and allows for the direct observation of room-temperature drag and transport of electrons and holes in the coherent phonon wind of an intense SAW beam. By the application of a tomographic technique we are able to reconstruct 2D charge distributions.