Air-coupled ultrasound using broadband shock waves from piezoelectric spark igniters

We used an optomechanical sensor to study the ultrasound generated by manually operated piezoelectric spark igniters. These low-energy sparks produce short-duration acoustic shock-wave pulses, with sub-microsecond rise times and frequency content extending well beyond 2 MHz in air. The same source–receiver combination was then used to demonstrate broadband characterization of solid (polymer and glass) plates in a simple setup, where single spark events yielded high signal-to-noise ratio data without the need for critical alignment. This setup also enabled us to estimate pressure excursions approaching 105 Pa at millimeter-scale distances from the spark. The results are in large part made possible by the small size, wide bandwidth, and high sensitivity of the optomechanical sensor and might be of interest for air-coupled ultrasound applications in nondestructive testing.