Active acoustic metamaterials reconfigurable in real time

A major limitation of current acoustic metamaterials is that their acoustic properties are either locked into place once fabricated or are only modestly tunable, tying them to the particular application for which they are designed. We present a design approach that yields active metamaterials whose physical structure is fixed, yet their local acoustic response can be changed almost arbitrarily and in real time by configuring the digital electronics that control the metamaterial acoustic properties. We demonstrate this approach experimentally by designing a metamaterial slab configured to act as a very thin acoustic lens that manipulates differently three identical, consecutive pulses incident on the lens. Moreover, we show that the slab can be configured to simultaneously implement various roles, such as that of a lens and a beam steering device. Finally, we show that the metamaterial slab is suitable for efficient second harmonic acoustic imaging devices capable of overcoming the diffraction limit of linear lenses. These advantages demonstrate the versatility of this active metamaterial and highlight its broad applicability, in particular, to acoustic imaging.

Duke Scholars

Author Steven A. Cummer Electrical and Computer Engineering