Transparent ultrasound transducers

An acoustic imaging system comprising:

• at least one transparent transducer structure comprising:
• a transparent substrate;
• a transparent transducer structure comprising a bottom electrode adjacent to the substrate, a top electrode electrically insulated from the bottom electrode, and an array of acoustically active elements within a separating layer between the top electrode and the bottom electrode;
• wherein:
• the top electrode and the bottom electrode comprising a conductive transparent material;
• the top electrode, the bottom electrode, or both the top electrode and the bottom electrode comprise a composite layer made from the conductive transparent material and a supplemental material that has a conductivity that is greater than a conductivity of the conductive transparent material;
• and
• a majority of a surface area of the composite layer comprises the conductive transparent material;
• a voltage source configured to apply a voltage between the top electrode and the bottom electrode;
• an excitation source that is configured to excite a sample to be imaged;
• a receiver connected to receive electrical signals generated by the transparent transducer structure;
• and
• a processor that receives the electrical signals from the receiver and generates an image of the sample.