Wide-aperture diffraction of unpolarised radiation in a system of two acousto-optic filters

Light diffraction is studied in two tandem acousto-optic cells filtering unpolarised radiation with a wide angular spectrum. It is shown that the side lobes of the ultrasonic radiation pattern of a piezoelectric transducer produce side diffraction intensity maxima at the output of the system consisting of two filters. Diffraction in paratellurite filters is studied experimentally at 1.06 μm.