Scanning high-power continuous wave laser-generated bulk acoustic waves

The ultrasonic bulk waves generated by a high-power continuous laser scanning along the surface of aluminum material were theoretically investigated. Although the temperature rise generated by this scanning laser irradiation was small, it provided a large temperature gradient, which was able to generate measurable ultrasonic waves. Detailed discussions were given to the influence of scanning speed on the generation propagation direction and the amplitude of the wavefront. The longitudinal and transverse waves would be generated in the material only when the scanning speeds reached a certain range. What's more, the amplitude of the wavefronts were significantly enhanced if the wavefront angle controlled by the scanning speed matched with the propagation direction of the ultrasound. In summary, it expounded a method to obtain the ultrasonic signal of direction, controlled from the perspective of numerical simulation, as long as the scanning speed met the requirements.