4. Glossary

photoelastic effect; photoelastic effect

Spatial and temporal modulation of the dielectric properties of a transparent material caused by the passage of an elastic or acoustic wave; this is a volume effect.

anisotropic interaction; interaction anisotrope

Interaction in which the polarization of the diffracted light wave is orthogonal to the incident light polarization. This configuration is obtained when the polarization of the elastic wave is transverse.

diagramme des vecteurs d'onde; wave-vector diagram

Geometric representation of the interaction based on light and acoustic wave vectors, to determine the conditions of synchronism: light and acoustic wave propagation directions, acoustic wave frequency, diffraction angle.

diffraction efficiency...