Noncontact ultrasonic characterization of ceramics

A noncontact ultrasonic technique for the characterization of piezoelectric ceramics is described. The velocity of a laser\u2010generated surface\u2010acoustic\u2010wave pulse propagating at the surface of the ceramic material is measured by an optical probe. The laser beam has an annular section in order to produce a conveniently strong ultrasonic pulse without overheating the surface. Applications to the characterization of PZT samples are described.Peer reviewed: YesNRC publication: Ye