On the possibility of ultrashort shear acoustic pulse excitation due to the laser-induced electrostrictive effect

A simple theory is developed and numerical estimates presented to demonstrate the possibility of exciting ultrashort acoustic pulses in optically transparent materials by laser-induced electrostrictive surface mechanical stresses. Both longitudinal and shear coherent acoustic pulses can be excited, The conditions for which the polarization of ultrashort shear pulses are controlled by the polarization of an incident laser pulse are established. The profiles and durations of longitudinal and shear acoustic strain pulses are shown to coincide with laser pulse intensity envelope. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.