Localized Measurement of a Sub-Nanosecond Shockwave Pressure Rise Time

In a growing number of applications, fast and localized pressure measurement in aqueous media is desired. To perform such measurements, a custom-made single-mode fiber-optic probe hydrophone (FOPH) was designed and used to measure the pressure pulse generated by laser-induced breakdown (LIB) in water. The sensor enabled sub-nanosecond pressure rise time measurement. Both the rise time and the duration of the shockwave were found to be shorter in the direction perpendicular to the breakdown generating laser beam, compared to the shockwave observed in the parallel direction. Simultaneous high-frame-rate imaging was used to qualitatively validate the novel hydrophone data and to observe the shockwave evolution. The measurements were performed also on pressure pulses emitted during the generation of miniature (150 mu m diameter) laser-induced bubbles at very small distances (down to 40 mu m), further demonstrating the capabilities of the small-size sensor and the ability to measure locally. The results improve understanding of LIB shockwave characteristics dependence on laser pulse energy and duration.