Manipulating the extraordinary acoustic transmission through metamaterial-based acoustic band gap structures

Abstract

We report theoretical predictions and experimental results on the formation of pass bands and stop bands of extraordinary acoustic transmission in multilayer structures based on alternating layers of acoustic metamaterial and air. The metamaterial layers can be made of any acoustically hard material perforated with a two-dimensional array of subwavelength apertures. In this way, it is possible to tailor the density and speed of sound of an otherwise acoustically bulk hard material with fixed properties. The sonic band structure allows transmission passband and stop bandgaps that depend on the layer thicknesses and effective properties of the metamaterials. In addition, we show the existence of resonant tunneling due to the formation of an acoustic passband in a spectral region of low transmission for a single layer. This opens the possibility to engineer different types of phononic materials to manipulate and control acoustic waves.