PT symmetric sonic crystals: from asymmetric echoes to supersonic speeds Articles uri icon

authors

  • ROSENDO LOPEZ, MARIA
  • MERKEL, AURELIEN PAUL LUCIEN
  • CHRISTENSEN, JOHAN

published in

  • EPL  Journal

publication date

  • November 2018

start page

  • 1

end page

  • 5

issue

  • 3, 34001

volume

  • 124

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 0295-5075

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1286-4854

abstract

  • Parity-time PT symmetric structures based on balanced distributions of gain and loss have attracted significant attention in acoustic metamaterial research since they allow one to sculpture the flow of sound waves in complete new ways. We compute complex Bloch waves in fluidic non-Hermitian sonic crystals and demonstrate how band coalescence can lead to exceptionally large group velocities permitting supersonic wave propagation in PT symmetric slabs. Further, by controlling the degree of non-hermiticity in such systems, we found that asymmetrically reflected pulses can be readily amplitude-tuned, which might find potential use in echocardiography, sonar and echo suppressors.

subjects

  • Physics

keywords

  • parity-time symmetric structures; acoustic metamaterials; complex bloch waves; supersonic wave propagation