Measurement of non-linear distortions in the vibration of acoustic transducers and acoustically driven membranes

Different methods exist to quantify non-linearity, and recently a new method was proposed that uses multisines to determine output response level, noise level, and level of non-linear distortions simultaneously from one single short experiment. We used heterodyne vibrometry to measure the vibration of a membrane while it is stimulated acoustically, and to determine the non-linear distortions in its response with this new method of analysis. We demonstrate the method on an electrically driven earphone. Analysis of the sound output and optically measured vibration deliver comparable results, and clearly detect non-linear distortions. Next, we apply the method on an acoustically driven elastic membrane. At vibration amplitudes of the same magnitude as on the earphone, non-linear distortions are much smaller, as to be expected on an elastic membrane, but they can still be detected with the vibrometer. This technique can be used to investigate the non-linearity of acoustically driven systems such as the middle ear.