Ultrasonic Spectroscopy: Applications in Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science

Ultrasonic spectroscopy is a technique widely used in solid-state physics, materials science, and geology that utilizes acoustic waves to determine fundamental physical properties of materials, such as their elasticity and mechanical energy dissipation. This book provides complete coverage of the main issues relevant to the design, analysis, and interpretation of ultrasonic experiments. Topics including elasticity, acoustic waves in solids, ultrasonic loss, and the relation of elastic constants to thermodynamic potentials are covered in depth. Modern techniques and experimental methods including resonant ultrasound spectroscopy, digital pulse-echo, and picosecond ultrasound are also introduced and reviewed. This self-contained book includes extensive background theory and is accessible to students new to the field of ultrasonic spectroscopy, as well as to graduate students and researchers in physics, engineering, materials science, and geophysics.

Robert G. Leisure is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Physics at Colorado State University, where he served as Chair of the Physics Department from 1984–90. He is also Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America, and of the Institute of Physics. His work focuses on ultrasonic studies of solids.