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.
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