Direct multi-channel optical spectrum analysis of radio-wave signals using collinear wave heterodyning in the single acousto-optical cell

An attempt is made to improve the accuracy of a multi-channel parallel acousto-optical spectrum analysis through involving an additional nonlinear conversion into data processing. For this purpose we investigate the potential of exploiting a co-directional collinear wave heterodyning within an analysis of ultra-high-frequency radio-wave signals. The wave heterodyning under the proposal is performed via mixing the longitudinal elastic waves of finite amplitudes. It leads to a two-cascade processing in the single-crystalline cell and makes it possible to improve the relative frequency resolution of the acousto-optical spectrum analysis by an order of magnitude at the same frequency range. Both the theoretical findings and the corresponding estimations were used in proof-of-principle experiments directed at creating a new type of acousto-optical cell. The general concept of the proposed method and the basic conclusions are confirmed by experiments with the developed acousto-optic cell made of a lead molybdate crystal.