Optically Actuated Headphone Speaker Array

An optically actuated speaker suitable for fabrication as an array in headphones is proposed. These speakers provide good fidelity in a package with a flat profile because of the speaker element array structure. Fabricated as an all optical device using fiberoptic inputs the device is also immune to EMI effects and can be used in high EMI environments such as military, industrial and medical applications. Several optical actuation mechanism were evaluated ranging from an all-optical photoacoustic mechanism to optically controlled electroacoustic elements using photovoltaic and photoconductor control.