Liquid crystal-based acoustic imaging

Liquid crystals have been investigated for acoustic imaging purposes for more than 20 years, however, their practicality has become apparent only recently through a number of technological developments. This has led to the development of the world's first liquid crystal based acoustic imaging system, which is finding commercial applications. This paper will discuss some of the fundamental technical progress that was needed to make liquid crystal based acoustic imaging a reality. Numerous current and potential uses of the liquid crystal based acoustic imaging approach will be discussed, including nondestructive testing, underwater mine detection, medical imaging, etc.