1st Edition

Laser Ultrasonics Techniques and Applications

By C.B Scruby, L.E Drain Copyright 1990

    The first book devoted to laser techniques in the generation and reception of ultrasonic waves in materials, Laser Ultrasonics: Techniques and Applications provides a full description of the state of the art in all fields involving both lasers and ultrasonics. This practical book focuses mainly on the possible applications of the techniques, yet theory is discussed wherever necessary.

    After an introduction to ultrasonics and laser technology, the book reviews acousto-optics, various acousto-optic devices, and noninterferometric optical methods of measuring ultrasonic displacements. The authors then describe opto-acoustic techniques, discussing laser interferometry, including reference-beam, velocity, and Fabry-Perot systems, and their application to ultrasonic measurement on different surfaces. The authors also detail the generation of ultrasound as a consequence of the absorption of laser light in material. The book proceeds to discuss applications of laser-generated ultrasound, both by itself and in combination with laser interferometric reception to form an entirely remote and non-contact measurement and testing system. Comparisons with nonoptical techniques for ultrasonic generation and detection are made where appropriate. The book concludes with a discussion of the future developments and uses of laser techniques in ultrasonics, with particular reference to nondestructive testing.

    INTRODUCTION
    Ultrasonics
    Lasers
    Main characteristics of laser light
    Lasers for ultrasonics

    ACOUSTO-OPTIC INTERACTIONS
    The acousto-optic effect
    The measurement of ultrasonic fields
    Bragg diffraction
    Acousto-optic devices
    Applications of acousto-optic devices
    The interaction of light with surface waves

    LASER INTERFEROMETRY
    Principles of laser interferometry
    Theory of interference between light beams
    Reference beam interferometry with rough surfaces
    Light detection and signal amplification
    Effects of laser mode structure
    Signal processing
    Stabilized interferometers
    Optical frequency shifting
    Quadrature interferometers
    Long path difference and interferometry
    Fabry-Perot interferometers

    APPLICATINOS OF LASER INTERFEROMETRY TO ULTRASONIC DISPLACEMENT MEASUREMENT
    The measurement of acoustic fields
    Scanned laser interferometry
    Full field visualisation of surface displacement
    The measurement of surface waves
    Calibration of transducers
    Acoustic emission
    The measurement of transverse and vector displacement
    Sensitivity comparison with other ultrasonic detection techniques

    ULTRASONIC GENERATION BY LASER
    Absorbtion of electromagnetic radiation
    Temperature distributions
    Thermoelastic stresses
    Other effects
    Constrained surfaces
    Ultrasonic wave propagation in unbounded solids
    Propagation in bounded solids
    Radiation patterns for laser-ultrasonic sources
    Ultrasonic bulk waveforms in plates
    Ultrasonic surface and guided waves
    Lasers for ultrasonic generation

    APPLICATIONS USING LASER GENERATION OF ULTRASOUND
    Applications to flaw detection
    Applications to materials property measurement

    APPLICATIONS TO ACOUSTIC MICROSCOPY
    Calibration
    Wave propagation studies
    Medical applications

    CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE PROSPECTS FOR LASER TECHNIQUES IN ULTRASONICS
    Summary and conclusions
    Future research and development
    Future prospects for applications

    REFERENCES
    INDEX

    Biography

    L.E Drain

    "Diagrams, charts, and examples enhance the text. Good for university-level engineering collections."
    -New Technical Books

    "… a most welcome and timely addition to the literature as it provides a clear overview and in-depth coverage of the major aspects of this field … this book gives a well balanced, clear, and comprehensive treatment of laser ultrasonics."
    -Contemporary Physics