A pulsed photothermal method is proposed for the detection of delaminations in layered materials. The surface of the material is heated by a focused laser pulse to a few degrees above the ambient temperature, and the induced thermoelastic displacement is detected by a laser interferometer. Unbonded areas are characterized by their thermoelastic bending behavior, in addition to their thermal expansion, because of the induced temperature gradients both in the radial and axial directions. A theoretical analysis and an experimental investigation of this behavior are described in order to point out the most significant parameters. An application of the nondestructive inspection of Al‐epoxy honeycomb panels is presented.