Visualization of surface acoustic waves in thin liquid films

Rambach, R. W., Taiber, J., Scheck, C. M. L., Meyer, C., Reboud, J. , Cooper, J. and Franke, T. (2016) Visualization of surface acoustic waves in thin liquid films. [Data Collection]

Original publication URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/srep21980

Collection description

We demonstrate that the propagation path of a surface acoustic wave (SAW), excited with an interdigitated transducer (IDT), can be visualized using a thin liquid film dispensed onto a lithium niobate (LiNbO3) substrate. The practical advantages of this visualization method are its rapid and simple implementation, with many potential applications including in characterising acoustic pumping within microfluidic channels. It also enables low-cost characterisation of IDT designs thereby allowing the determination of anisotropy and orientation of the piezoelectric substrate without the requirement for sophisticated and expensive equipment. Here, we show that the optical visibility of the sound path critically depends on the physical properties of the liquid film and identify heptane and methanol as most contrast rich solvents for visualization of SAW. We also provide a detailed theoretical description of this effect.

Funding:
College / School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering
Date Deposited: 18 Mar 2016 09:30
Enlighten Publications URL: http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/116281/
URI: https://researchdata.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/290

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Rambach, R. W., Taiber, J., Scheck, C. M. L., Meyer, C., Reboud, J. , Cooper, J. and Franke, T. (2016); Visualization of surface acoustic waves in thin liquid films

University of Glasgow

DOI: 10.5525/gla.researchdata.290

Retrieved: 2024-03-29

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