Investigation into NSAW excitation and modulation utilizing the grating mask technique

Narrowband surface acoustic wave (NSAW) method is a promising ultrasonic detection technique, with its laser-induced excitation technology offering the advantages of non-contact and flexible regulation. This paper proposes an NSAW excitation and modulation system based on the grating mask method to detect the nonlinear characteristics of the spectra caused by the variation in material surface properties. According to Doyer’s sharp line excitation theory, a strip line source array excitation model formed by superposition principle is established, and the effects of duty ratios of the masks on NSAW spectra amplitude characteristics are interpreted. An NSAW excitation and B-scan experimental system that can realize line source spacing changes is developed, and the effects of cylindrical lens height and masks with different duty ratios on NSAW spectra modulation are studied. The experimental results show that the amplitude ratios (the ratio of the double frequency amplitude to the second harmonic amplitude) are consistent with the results of the Doyer superimposed strip line source array excitation model in which the excitation light source energy is evenly distributed. The second-order nonlinear coefficients extracted from the experimental spectra can effectively characterize the surface properties of 6061 aluminum alloy at different annealing temperatures.