Optical reflectometric detection of a three-dimensional acoustic field

In laser ultrasonics, when focusing strongly the pump beam, a three-dimensional (3D) diffracted acoustic field can be generated. Considering weakly absorbing materials, the 3D interaction of this elastic perturbation with the optical detection beam must be taken into account. A semi-analytical model is proposed to describe such phenomena in reflectometric measurements. Once the acoustooptic interaction has been partially linearized, the resulting inhomogeneous differential system is solved using the matricant method. Good agreement is found comparing the calculated results with the experimental data in an aluminum film.