Acoustic waves in an optical medium cause rapid periodic changes in the refraction index, leading to diffraction effects. Such acoustically controlled diffraction can be used to modulate, deflect, and focus light at microsecond timescales, paving the way for advanced optical microscopy designs that feature unprecedented spatiotemporal resolution. In this article, we review the operational principles, optical properties, and recent applications of acousto-optic (AO) systems for advanced microscopy, including random-access scanning, ultrafast confocal and multiphoton imaging, and fast inertia-free light-sheet microscopy. As AO technology is reaching maturity, designing new microscope architectures that utilize AO elements is more attractive than ever, providing new exciting opportunities in fields as impactful as optical metrology, neuroscience, embryogenesis, and high-content screening.

光学介质中的声波会引起折射率的快速周期性变化，从而导致衍射效应。这种声学控制的衍射可用于在微秒的时间尺度上调制，偏转和聚焦光，从而为具有前所未有的时空分辨率的先进光学显微镜设计铺平了道路。在本文中，我们回顾了声光（AO）系统在高级显微镜下的工作原理，光学特性和最新应用，包括随机访问扫描，超快速共聚焦和多光子成像以及快速无惯性光片显微镜。随着AO技术的成熟，设计使用AO元素的新型显微镜架构比以往任何时候都更具吸引力，从而在光学计量学，神经科学，