Lithium niobate stress gauge for pulsed radiation deposition studies

The piezoelectric response of impact-loaded z-cut lithium niobate is investigated to determine whether the material can be used as a time-resolving nanosecond-resolution stress gauge. The material is found to have appropriate properties for stresses up to 15 kbar. A gauge from this material should prove particularly useful for measurements of stress pulses resulting from the absorption of pulsed radiation in solids.