The term “Love Mode” has been used in the sensor literature because the use of a thin film layer for energy trapping is analogous to the use of a thick layer in the “true” Love Mode device.

Similar to the SAW and STW, the Love Mode device uses input and output transducers to launch and receive the propagating acoustic surface wave. Also similar to the STW, the displacement of the propagating Love Mode is in the plane of the substrate without any vertical component of displacement. The Love Mode device, however, uses a thin trapping layer to trap the propagating wave to the surface of the substrate instead of a metal grating.

For the Love Mode device, the same argument regarding liquid-sensing application applies. Much work has been done to get around the dielectric shorting effect experienced by quartz based SH-SAW devices by using other substrate materials that have a much higher dielectric constant than quartz (i.e. 36° YX LiTaO₃). Unfortunately, the material is pyroelectric and the manufacturing takes on a new level of complexity.

The Love Mode device is better suited for gas sensing.