Functionalization of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) by isotropic plasma treatment was studied using resonant Raman spectroscopy. It was shown that plasma-induced functionalization results in the uniaxial isotropic constriction of the nanotubes but preserves their overall structural integrity. It was demonstrated that $\mathrm{N}{\mathrm{H}}_3\mathbf{\bullet }{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}$ and hexamethyldisiloxan plasmas yield various types of conductivity for semiconducting SWNTs.

In situ laser-based resonant ultrasound spectroscopy is used to characterize the development of a recrystallized microstructure in a high purity copper sample. The modal shapes, used for mode identification, of several resonant modes are determined before and after annealing by raster scanning the laser interferometric probe. This information is used to isolate the motion of individual modes during high temperature annealing. The evolution of a particular mode during annealing is examined in detail. During recrystallization, the center frequency of this mode shifts by approximately 20% of the original value. Using electron backscatter data it is shown that the majority of this shift is due to changes in the polycrystal average elastic stiffness tensor, driven by changes in texture, and that changes in dislocation density and pinning length are secondary influences.

An approach is presented for calculating thermoelastic generation of ultrasound in a metal plate exposed to nanosecond pulsed laser heating, sufficient to cause melting but not ablation. Detailed consideration is given to the spatial and temporal profiles of the laser pulse, penetration of the laser beam into the sample, the appearance and subsequent growth and then contraction of the melt pool, and the time dependent thermal conduction in the melt and surrounding solid throughout. The excitation of the ultrasound takes place during and shortly after the laser pulse and occurs predominantly within the thermal diffusion length of a micron or so beneath the surface. It is shown how, because of this, the output of the thermal simulations can be expressed as axially symmetric transient radial and normal surface force distributions. The epicentral displacement response to these force distributions is obtained by two methods, the one based on the elastodynamic Green's functions for plate geometry determined by the Cagniard generalized ray method and the other using a finite element numerical method. The two approaches are in very close agreement. Numerical simulations are reported on the epicentral displacement response of a 3.12 mm thick tungsten plate irradiated with a 4 ns pulsed laser beam with Gaussian spatial profile, at intensities below and above the melt threshold.