Overcoming the Diffraction Limit in Wave Physics Using a Time-Reversal Mirror and a Novel Acoustic Sink

TLDR

Time‑reversal mirrors generate waves that refocus at their source, but diffraction limits the focal spot to at least half a wavelength. The study aims to demonstrate that the diffraction limit can be surpassed by replacing the source with its time‑reversal image. An acoustic sink device is introduced that absorbs the time‑reversed wave, effectively acting as the source’s time‑reversal image. Experimentally, the acoustic sink produced a focal spot smaller than one‑fourteenth of a wavelength.

Abstract

In recent years, time-reversal (TR) mirrors have been developed that create TR waves for ultrasonic transient fields propagating through complex media. A TR wave back propagates and refocuses exactly at its initial source. However, because of diffraction, even if the source is pointlike the wave refocuses on a spot size that cannot be smaller than half a wavelength. Here, by using a TR interpretation of this limit, we show that this latter limitation can be overcome if the source is replaced by its TR image. This new device acts as an acoustic sink that absorbs the TR wave. Here we report the first experimental result obtained with an acoustic sink where a focal spot size of less than 1/14th of one wavelength is recorded.