A polyvinylidene fluoride needle hydrophone for ultrasonic applications

Abstract A new type of piezoelectric polymer hydrophone for the frequency range above 1 MHz is described, which consists of a needle, coated with a thin layer of polyvinylidene fluoride. The sensitive area is a small polarized zone of the polymeric material around the needle point. Special properties, caused by the constructive design of this ‘needle hydrophone’, are its non-directivity in a wide angular range, and high spatial resolution of the ultrasonic sound field pattern. Construction and performance are compared with other types of piezoelectric polymer hydrophones. Some possible applications are discussed.