Influence of a transverse electric field on the acoustooptic effect in a liquid crystal layer produced by a surface acoustic wave

An experimental study has been made of the influence of a transverse electric field on the acoustooptic effect produced by a surface acoustic wave in a homeotropically oriented layer of nematic liquid crystal. The experimental results show that the creation of a transverse electric field in a liquid crystal layer makes it possible to control the acoustooptic effect induced by an SAW and to increase the sensitivity of the layer to high frequency deformations. The use of a transverse field introduces the possibility of recording the SAW and investigating the acoustic field it sets up for surface wave amplitudes 10-100 times smaller than without a field.