Pulsed laser irradiation is used for surface treatment of a solid and ablation for particle formation in gas, liquid or supercritical phase media. When a pulsed laser is used to irradiate a solid, spatial refractive index variations ( including photothermal expansion, shockwaves and particles) occur, which vary depending on the energy density of the pulsed laser. We focused on this phenomenon and applied an unique method for detection of refractive index variation using an optical wave microphone based on Fraunhofer diffraction. In this research, we analyzed the waveforms and frequencies of refractive index variations caused by pulsed laser irradiation of silicon in air and measured with an optical wave microphone. (C) 2012 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.