Characterization of laser-induced ultrasound signal by reduced graphene oxide thickness and laser intensity

A nanosecond pulse laser generates acoustic waves on a water-material interface. The absorbed beam energy heats and thermoelastically expands the material. The thermoelastic stress of a material is dependent on its absorbance and expansion coefficient. In this work, we used a composite of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and aluminum thin film to increase the efficiency of conversion from beamed energy to thermoelastic stress. A laser shadowgraph showed enhanced acoustic waves propagating at ~1,500 m/s under water. The effect of RGO on ultrasound generation is examined for different thicknesses of RGO at several laser fluences. The pressure of laser-induced ultrasound on the RGO–aluminum composite was measured to be up to 59 times greater than that produced with an aluminum film alone, and the frequency of laser-induced ultrasound was determined by the thermoelastic response. The strong intensity and broad bandwidth of the laser-induced acoustic wave suggested enhanced repetition time and resolution required for biomedical imaging.