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Updated: Jul 7, 2026

Wideband Optical Detector of Ultrasound for Medical Imaging Applications
Published on: May 11, 2014
Optical heterodyne detection of pulsed ultrasonic pressures
1Paris Univ.
Abstract:
An optical heterodyne interferometer was used for measuring short ultrasonic pulses in fluids. The optical phase shift of the probe beam, proportional to the acoustic pressure integrated along the light path, was demodulated quantitatively by electronic processing. The detection sensitivities of 10(-3) (Pa/ radicalHz) in water and 10(-4 ) (Pa/ radicalHz) in air were deduced. The experimental results obtained in water as well as in air show that this optical heterodyne technique offers a very sensitive way of measuring ultrasonic pressures in the low megahertz range even for very low pressures.
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