Optical tweezers are widely used in various fields of science and technology, such as biophysics, cytology and solid-state physics. Most of the existing optical tweezers use mirror or mirror-lens systems to manipulate the position of the trap. Such systems require precise alignment and do not allow the trap to be moved quickly from one arbitrary point to another due to the inertia of the mirror and lenses. We discuss acousto-optic scanning characterized by high precision and repetition rate for manipulating micro-objects using optical tweezers. Bragg diffraction of light via ultrasonic waves allows creating robust solid-state devices for precise and fast laser beam deflection. We describe a scheme of the optical tweezers with PC-driven two-dimensional scanning implemented by two sequential acousto-optical cells.

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The paper considers advantages and special features of an acousto-optic method for the development of a functional device for spatial and temporal control of laser light and reports results of investigations to create a two-directional acousto-optic laser scanner with diffraction efficiency as high as 80 percent or better. An acousto-optic deflector on a paratellurite crystal operating under the Bragg diffraction condition with a lithium niobate piezoelectric acoustic transducer was developed and tested experimentally. The results of this work can serve as a basis for the development of prototype functional acousto-optic devices for spatial and temporal control of laser light and their application to create laser television images.