How can an optical signal be converted into a mechanical/acoustic signal without using electricity?
There are several ways to directly convert acoustic/mechanic signals into optic signals (e.g. opening/closing a shutter, or the acousto-optic effect). Is there any way to do the reverse, without using photoelectric effects or other electric effects/electricity as intermediate?
I suppose one way would be to use the thermal heating from the light to deform e.g. a bimetal, but I doubt that will work with the light intensity of fiber-optic signals and it would probably be limited to low frequencies. Or am I wrong with that?
(Cross-posted to physics.stackexchange, not sure which will receive the better answer)
edit: background: I'm exploring what a world would look like if people were not allowed to or chose to not use electricity technology. Real world science applies though.
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