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The field of topology studies the properties of geometric objects that are preserved under continuous deformations, for example, without cutting or gluing. A cup with a handle is topologically equivalent to a donut (or a bagel if you live in New York) because one shape can be deformed into the other while preserving their common invariant hole. Exotic topological shapes, such as vortices, knots, and mobius strips, can be globally analyzed using the mathematical tools offered by topology. The connection between topology and acoustics may appear far-fetched, yet recent developments in the field of condensed matter physics and quantum mechanics have been inspiring exciting opportunities to manipulate sound in new and unexpected ways based on topological concepts.
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This content will become publicly available on December 1, 2026
A bright future for topological acoustics
Topological physics has been driving exciting progress in the area of condensed matter physics, with findings that have recently spilled over into the field of metamaterials research inspiring the design of structured materials that can govern in new ways the flow of light and sound. While so far these advances have been driven by fundamental curiosity-driven explorations, without a focused interest on their technological implications, opportunities to translate these findings into applied research have started to emerge, in particular in the context of sound control. Our team has been leading a highly collaborative research effort on advancing the field of topological acoustics, dubbed ‘New Frontiers of Sound’ and connecting it to technological opportunities for computing, communications, energy and sensing. In this comment, we outline our vision towards the future of topological sound, and its translation towards industry-relevant functionalities and operations based on extreme control of acoustic and phononic waves.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2242925
- PAR ID:
- 10625479
- Publisher / Repository:
- Nature Portfolio / Springer Nature
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Nature Communications
- Volume:
- 16
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 2041-1723
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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