Cheap Optical Transducers (CHOTs)

Describe the proposed research using (about 200) words geared to the non-specialist reader.This project will develop a range of novel cheap optical transducers (CHOTs) for the generation and detection of ultrasound. These CHOTs have the potential to be significantly cheaper (> 3 orders of magnitude) than existing piezoelectric based transducers and have many distinct advantages over existing transducer systems either contacting (piezoelectrics) or non contacting (laser ultrasound and EMATs).CHOTs may be so cheap that they have the potential to revolutionise NDE/T - instead of dismantling the structure (say an aircraft engine) for testing using an expensive traditional transducer it will be possible to install many CHOTs permanently into the structure. These may then be activated and read using free space optics without any wiring. They can be used on moving parts (for instance inside and engine during operation) and can be used in hostile environments (for instance at elevated temperatures where piezoelectrics cannot be used). CHOTs also have a very low impact on the structure and may be easily installed and removed at extremely low cost. While this proposal will concentrate on developing CHOTs for NDE/T applications there are many other applications, for instance as sensors for foodstuffs and biological samples