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Discusses a study on the optical generation of life-frequency acoustics in periodic multilayer structures made of alternating layers of gallium arsenide and aluminum-gallium arsenide. Experimental technique; Calculation of acoustic modes dispersion relation; Details of the strain-induced change in reflectivity.

Investigates the acoustic transients generated by high-voltage pulses in an excited LiNbO[sub3] Pockels cell. Expressions of the strain fields and the strain-induced change in index of refraction; Importance of using short-pulse excitations for minimizing the strain-induced birefringence effects for laser-beam geometries; Effects of acoustic waves on the laser-light polarization.

A continuously pumped Nd:YLF regenerative amplifier has been developed that can amplify 40-psec pulses at a repetition rate of greater than 10 kHz, with an average power in excess of 5 W. Pulse energies are as high as 2.0 mJ at 3 kHz and 640 microJ at 10.5 kHz. The limitation on the amplifier repetition rate that is associated with piezoelectric ringing in LiNbO(3) electro-optics has been overcome by using short-pulsed electric fields (10 nsec) and proper acoustic damping. Regenerative pulse amplification, limited in repetition only by the pump rate of the gain medium, has been achieved. The high repetition rate in regenerative pulse amplification made possible by this development should prove important for signal-processing considerations in a wide variety of pulse-amplification applications.