Acousto-optic tunable spectral filtration of stereoscopic images.

We propose a new technique for three-dimensional (3-D) imaging in arbitrary spectral intervals. It is based on a simultaneous diffraction of two divergent stereoscopic light beams on a single acoustic wave propagating in a uniaxial birefringent crystal. We discuss in detail this configuration of acousto-optic (AO) interaction, derive basic relations, and experimentally demonstrate the applicability of the proposed approach to 3-D spectral imaging. A stereo-imager of this type may be produced as an ultra-compact embeddable optical element, which is promising for many imaging applications.