In this paper, acousto-optic interaction between laser light and cylindrical airborne ultrasound in both He-Ne laser and argon-ion laser cavities is considered. The modulation properties of these acousto-optic systems were studied. The schlieren technique has been used to visualize a cylindrical ultrasonic wave generated in the air by radial vibration of a cylindrical piezoelectric shell. It was revealed that acoustic nonlinear effects together with acoustic absorption appear in the vicinity of the axis, where the ultrasound is focused. The observed waveforms of ultrasonic wave correspond to the curves of modulation of laser light.