Primary calibration of hydrophones with extended frequency range 1 to 70 MHz using optical interferometry.

A technique for the primary calibration of hydrophones based on an optical principle is presented. An interferometer determines the displacement of a pellicle mounted on the surface of the tank fluid perpendicular to the sound propagation axis; the known acoustic field is then measured using the hydrophone. The application range extends from 1 to 50 MHz and, with a lesser accuracy, to 70 MHz. The loaded and the open-circuit sensitivity are obtained pointwise, and the frequency and the number of the measurement points can be arbitrarily chosen. As an example, two membrane hydrophones with a spot diameter of 0.5 mm are calibrated, and the comparison with a theoretical model describing the acoustic and electrical properties of the hydrophone shows good agreement.