Dynamic higher-order correction of acoustic aberration due to material microstructure

Material microstructure, such as grains in metals, can perturb ultrasound as it propagates through - or on the surface of - the material. This acoustic aberration affects the accuracy and reliability of ultrasound measurements and is a fundamental limit to resolution for many materials. Using an all-optical approach to generation and detection of surface acoustic waves, we detect the acoustic wave front aberrations, and correct for them by calculating a different generation profile, which is imaged onto the material using a spatial light modulator.