Acoustical breakdown of materials by focusing of laser-generated Rayleigh surface waves

Abstract

Focusing of high-amplitude surface acoustic waves leading to material damage is visualized in an all-optical experiment. The optical setup includes a lens and an axicon that focuses an intense picosecond excitation pulse into a ring-shaped pattern at the surface of a gold-coated glass substrate. Optical excitation induces a surface acoustic wave (SAW) that propagates in the plane of the sample and converges toward the center. The evolution of the SAW profile is monitored using interferometry with a femtosecond probe pulse at variable time delays. The quantitative analysis of the full-field images provides direct information about the surface displacement profiles, which are compared to calculations. The high stress at the focal point leads to the removal of the gold coating and, at higher excitation energies, to damage of the glass substrate. The results open the prospect for testing material strength on the microscale using laser-generated SAWs.