Nonlinear acousto-optical diffraction: comparison of direct and cascading processes

International audienceWe theoretically investigate cascading processes for the nonlinear acousto-optical diffraction by standing acoustic waves in a noncentrosymmetric bulk crystal, resulting from the succession of either linear acousto-optic diffraction and sum-frequency generation, or second harmonic generation and linear acousto-optic diffraction. We carefully study the configurations and polarization combinations that allow to distinguish these processes and the direct process of nonlinear acousto-optical diffraction