Tunable diffraction gratings using surface acoustic waves

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a tunable diffraction grating using surface acoustic waves. In some embodiments, the tunable diffraction grating includes a piezoelectric substrate including an interdigital transducer (IDT) region and a delay line region; a plurality of IDT electrodes positioned in the IDT region, wherein the IDT electrodes are each individually addressable such that the voltage applied to each of the electrodes is phase shifted, and wherein the IDT electrodes provide the phase shifted voltage to induce surface acoustic waves in the piezoelectric substrate in a pattern which produce a grating in the delay line region. Advantageously, tunable diffraction gratings have many applications including spectrometers for orbiters and rovers to Mars.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.