We numerically and experimentally demonstrate super-resolution focusing of the lowest anti-symmetric (A0) mode Lamb waves in a thin aluminum plate. The subwavelength focusing/imaging is achieved by exploiting the anisotropy in phononic crystal (PC) lattices and amplification of evanescent waves. To this end, we embedded a PC flat lens in the aluminum plate, consisting of holes arranged in a square lattice formation. We revealed that the bound slab phonon modes amplify evanescent waves, as previously observed for electromagnetic and acoustic waves. Hence, the slab mode helps propagate subwavelength information through the PC lens to reach the near-field image formed due to negative refraction and result in the high resolution image.
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Broadband subwavelength imaging of flexural elastic waves in flat phononic crystal lenses
Subwavelength imaging of elastic/acoustic waves using phononic crystals (PCs) is limited to a narrow frequency range via the two existing mechanisms that utilize either the intense Bragg scattering in the first phonon band or negative effective properties (left-handed material) in the second (or higher) phonon band. In the first phonon band, the imaging phenomenon can only exist at frequencies closer to the first Bragg band gap where the equal frequency contours (EFCs) are convex. Whereas, for the left-handed materials, the subwavelength imaging is restricted to a narrow frequency region where wave vectors in PC and background material are close to each other, which is essential for single-point image formation. In this work, we propose a PC lens for broadband subwavelength imaging of flexural waves in plates exploiting the second phonon band and the anisotropy of a PC lattice for the first time. Using a square lattice design with square-shaped EFCs, we enable the group velocity vector to always be perpendicular to the lens interface irrespective of the frequency and incidence angle; thus, resulting in a broadband imaging capability. We numerically and experimentally demonstrate subwavelength imaging using this concept over a significantly broadband frequency range.
more » « less- Award ID(s):
- 1914583
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10411768
- Publisher / Repository:
- Nature Publishing Group
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Scientific Reports
- Volume:
- 13
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 2045-2322
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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