Acousto-Optic Modulation in Ambient Air

Control over intensity, shape, direction and phase of coherent light is a cornerstone of photonics. Modern laser optics, however, frequently demands parameter regimes where either the wavelength or the optical power restricts control e.g. due to absorption or damage. Limitations are imposed by the properties of solid media, upon which most photonic control schemes rely. We propose to circumvent these limitations using gas media tailored by high-intensity ultrasound waves. We demonstrate a first implementation of this approach by modulating ultrashort laser pulses using ultrasound waves in ambient air, entirely omitting transmissive solid media. At peak powers of 20 GW exceeding the limits of solid-based acousto-optical modulation by about three orders of magnitude, we reach a diffraction efficiency greater than 50% while preserving excellent beam quality. Our results open a route towards versatile gas-phase Sono-Photonic methods, i.e. gas-based photonic systems controlled by sonic waves.