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Metamaterial bricks and quantization of meta-surfaces

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posted on 2023-06-09, 05:19 authored by Gianluca MemoliGianluca Memoli, Mihai Caleap, Michihiro Asakawa, Deepak R Sahoo, Bruce W Drinkwater, Sriram Subramanian
Controlling acoustic fields is crucial in diverse applications such as loudspeaker design, ultrasound imaging and therapy or acoustic particle manipulation. The current approaches use fixed lenses or expensive phased arrays. Here, using a process of analogue-to-digital conversion and wavelet decomposition, we develop the notion of quantal meta-surfaces. The quanta here are small, pre-manufactured three-dimensional units—which we call metamaterial bricks—each encoding a specific phase delay. These bricks can be assembled into meta-surfaces to generate any diffraction-limited acoustic field. We apply this methodology to show experimental examples of acoustic focusing, steering and, after stacking single meta-surfaces into layers, the more complex field of an acoustic tractor beam. We demonstrate experimentally single-sided air-borne acoustic levitation using meta-layers at various bit-rates: from a 4-bit uniform to 3-bit non-uniform quantization in phase. This powerful methodology dramatically simplifies the design of acoustic devices and provides a key-step towards realizing spatial sound modulators.

Funding

User Interaction with self-supporting free-form physical objects; G1747; EPSRC-ENGINEERING & PHYSICAL SCIENCES RESEARCH COUNCIL; EP/N014197/1

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Published version

Journal

Nature Communications

ISSN

2041-1723

Publisher

Nature Publishing Group

Volume

8

Article number

a14608

Department affiliated with

  • Informatics Publications

Research groups affiliated with

  • Creative Technology Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2017-02-28

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2017-02-28

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2017-02-28

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