Abstract
Propagation of surface acoustic waves (SAWs) was investigated on a single lithium niobate (LiNbO3) ball of 1 inch diameter. We found ten specific routes, on which the roundtrips of SAWs are observed, and one or more specific routes, on which the multiple reflections of bulk waves are observed. Since the temperature coefficient is similar on each route of the SAW, one route can be used to correct the temperature dependency of all other routes, and the other routes can be used as multiple-gas sensors by coating various reactive thin films along each route.