Frequency Dependence of a Piezo-Resistive Method for Pressure Measurements of Laser-Induced Shock Waves in Solids

A shock wave is a mechanical high-pressure pulse that travels inside a medium with a full width at half-maximum of a few nanoseconds that may be induced with a high-power laser pulse. A piezo-resistive measurement method to determine the shock wave pressure has been widely employed even though there is inner inaccuracy in the calibration process. We are interested in developing a precise theoretical model of laser material processing for applications in material sciences that includes the frequency dependence of the electronic post processing. We show an approach to determine the correction factor to frequency response at a high frequency of a piezo-resistive experimental setup and the results of the pressure measurements obtained in this experimental setup. The theoretical and experimental work demonstrates the feasibility of piezo-resistive methods to measure a laser-induced shock wave pressure in the nanosecond range. The correction factor of the frequency dependence calibration allows the technique to be applied in different shock wave experiments.