title: Beam deformation within an acousto-optic lens.
abstract: The acousto-optic lens (AOL) is becoming a popular tool in the neuroscience field. Here we analyzed the deformation of the diffraction beam after passage through an AOL consisting of a pair of acousto-optic deflectors using both theoretical and experimental data. The results showed that, because of the high sensitivity of optical spatial frequencies of acousto-optic deflectors, the boundary strength of the diffraction beam of the AOL decreases significantly. When the focal length of AOL diminishes, the deformation of the diffraction beam becomes more serious with a smaller beam size. This deformation of the diffraction beam finally leads to a decreased illuminative numerical aperture, which worsens the image's spatial resolution.
authors.forename: Zhenqiao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Longhui
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jiancun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Qinglei
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Shaoqun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zeng
mesh_terms: D000162:Acoustics; D004867:Equipment Design; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D055096:Optical Devices