Theory of the generation of mechanical vibrations by laser radiation in solids containing internal stresses on the basis of the thermoelastic effect

The behavior of the nonsteady deformations in solids containing internal stresses under irradiation by temporally modulated laser radiation is analyzed. In the framework of the nonlinear theory of thermoelasticity a model is proposed for the excitation of mechanical vibrations with allowance for the dependence of the thermoelastic coupling parameter on the initial deformation. For the case of a piezoelectric method of detecting the mechanical vibrations in a uniformly deformed sample, an analytical expression is obtained for the electrical signal taken off from the piezoelement. The behavior of the piezoelectric signal under various conditions is investigated, and the results are compared with the available experimental data and found to be in qualitative agreement. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 69, 59–63 (July 1999)