Acoustic wave generated by focused nanosecond laser pulse at air–solid interface: Experiment and modeling

Perturbations are induced by focusing a laser pulse (1064 nm, 10 ns duration, and energy ranging from 3.24 to 12.02 mJ) on a ceramic plate in the air. The generated signals are detected with an optical fiber-based Michelson interferometer. The detected waveforms are similar for various pulse energies, but the dimensions differ. Based on the partial differential equation system from linear acoustic theory, a simple model with a symbolic solution is proposed to explain the detected waveforms. Laser-induced wave energies are estimated based on the model.