Optical Measurement of Sound

One of the greatest inventions in acoustics is the telephone/microphone. The device, which was realized in the late 19th century, enables sound recording and transmission, and forms the foundation of modern acoustics. The basic principle has not changed until nowadays, and its fundamental limitations in spatial resolution and measurement performance have been pointed out.

I am researching completely different measurement principles, namely acoustic measurement using light. Optical measurement technologies are used in many fields of science and engineering from detection of gravity waves to observation in a living body. Focusing on the contactless nature and controllability of light, I aim to realize a new measurement method that overcomes the limitations of the microphones.

Research Interests

• ・Non-contact measurement of sound based on the acousto-optic effect
• ・Imaging of sound fields using high-speed polarization camera
• ・Applications of optical technologies to acoustic research

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