Stable scattering-matrix method for surface acoustic waves in piezoelectric multilayers

Abstract

A scattering matrix approach is proposed to avoid numerical instabilities arising with the classical transfer matrix method when analyzing the propagation of plane surface acoustic waves in piezoelectric multilayers. The method is stable whatever the thickness of the layers, and the frequency or the slowness of the waves. The computation of the Green’s function and of the effective permittivity of the multilayer is outlined. In addition, the method can be easily extended to the case of interface acoustic waves.