Using an optical technique we generate and detect picosecond shear and quasishear coherent acoustic phonon pulses in the time domain. Thermoelastic and piezoelectric generation are directly achieved by breaking the sample lateral symmetry using crystalline anisotropy. We demonstrate efficient detection in isotropic and anisotropic media with various optical incidence geometries.

• Received 5 April 2004

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.93.095501