Search Results (14)

Broadband sound absorption in the low-frequency range remains a significant challenge in acoustics. Traditional sound-absorbing structures are constrained by bulky volumes, while acoustic metamaterials often involve complicated structural designs. In this work, we propose an acoustic metasurface by coupling multiple coiled-up structures, in order to achieve broadband near-perfect absorption in the low-frequency range. Capitalizing on complex frequency plane analysis, each coiled-up unit is tuned to critical damping, enabling perfect sound absorption. Through an interleaved arrangement of four coiled-up units with distinct parameters, the proposed metasurface achieves near-perfect absorption $\alpha >0.9$ within 261~372 Hz. The total thickness of the structure is 50 mm, corresponding to 1/26 of the wavelength at the lowest absorption frequency. Theoretical and simulated results confirm that sound waves at respective resonant frequencies can be captured and dissipated by the corresponding coiled-up units. Impedance tube experiments validate the accuracy of the adopted methodology, and demonstrate the potential of this metasurface for practical acoustic applications. Full article

In fields such as noise control, medical ultrasound, and acoustic communication, the flexible regulation of reflected sound waves has significant application value. In this work, a dual-band acoustic metasurface was designed using a split hollow cuboid with an open-hole plate (OPSHC) structure, which simultaneously achieves the direction control of reflected sound waves in both frequency bands. An OPSHC is a series structural unit, and the two center frequencies are mainly controlled by the diameters of the two openings in the structure and the position of the open-hole plate. Through finite element simulation, the influence of the center frequency of the metasurface and the position of the open-hole plate on the bandwidth of the anomalous reflection was studied. The results show that when the low-frequency center frequency is fixed, the low-frequency bandwidth of the metasurface increases with the increase in the high-frequency center frequency. When the position of the plate is moved, the low-frequency bandwidth increases and the high-frequency bandwidth decreases. This type of metasurface provides a new technical approach for broadband acoustic metasurface applications in noise control and underwater detection systems. Full article

Time-varying or temporal metamaterials and metasurfaces, in which electromagnetic parameters are deliberately modulated in time, have emerged as a powerful route to engineer wave–matter interaction beyond what is possible in static media. By enabling the controlled exchange of energy and momentum with the fields, they underpin magnet-free nonreciprocity, low-loss frequency conversion, temporal impedance matching beyond Bode-Fano limit, and unconventional parametric gain and noise control. This survey provides a coherent framework that unifies the main theoretical and experimental developments in the area, from early analyses of velocity-modulated dielectrics to recent demonstrations of temporal photonic crystals, non-Foster temporal boundaries, and spatiotemporally driven metasurfaces relevant to nanophotonic platforms. We systematically compare time-varying permittivity, joint $\epsilon$-$\mu$ modulation, time-varying conductivity, plasmas, and circuit-equivalent implementations, including stochastic and rapidly sign-switching regimes, and relate them to acoustic and quantum analogs using common figures of merit, such as conversion efficiency, isolation versus insertion loss, modulation depth and speed, dynamic range, and stability. Our work concludes by outlining key challenges, loss and pump efficiency, high-speed modulation at the nanoscale, dispersion engineering for broadband operation, and fair benchmarking, which must be addressed for robust, integrable temporal metasurfaces. Full article

To solve the problem of low-frequency aerodynamic noise control of Helmholtz resonators (HR) due to the frequency shift and amplitude reduction in acoustic attenuation caused by increasing fluid flow, the lossless regulation mechanism of the dynamic acoustic mass of a novel embedded-neck Helmholtz resonator (ENHR) metasurface is revealed through finite element simulation and wind tunnel experiments. Firstly, the flow–acoustic coupling aerodynamic simulation model based on the ducted silencer system is established. Then, the physical mechanism of lossless regulation of the dynamic acoustic mass for low-frequency aerodynamic noise reduction under incident fluid flow is studied specifically. Finally, a sub-wavelength and larger broadband ENHR metasurface comprising ten parallel cells is designed, in which an average transmission loss (TL) of 18.7 dB within 70–200 Hz with a Mach number (Ma) of 0.05 is achieved. The lossless regulation mechanism of dynamic acoustic mass with metasurface design would have an extensive potential application value in controlling low-frequency aerodynamic noise. Full article

This study presents the design and numerical validation of a grating-type labyrinthine acoustic metasurface capable of full 0–2π phase modulation with high transmission efficiency. By tuning the tooth length of the subwavelength unit cells, precise control of the transmission phase is achieved while maintaining a high transmission coefficient across the operational bandwidth. The proposed metasurface structure is evaluated through comprehensive finite element simulations using COMSOL Multiphysics 6.0 at a center frequency of 4000 Hz. The following five core wavefront manipulation functionalities are demonstrated: complete phase modulation, anomalous refraction, planar wave focusing, cylindrical-to-plane wave conversion, and cylindrical wave focusing. Each functionality is validated across a 400 Hz frequency range to confirm robust broadband performance. The metasurface exhibits minimal phase degradation and maintains high spatial coherence across varying frequencies, highlighting its potential for applications in acoustic beam steering, imaging, and wavefront engineering. Full article

Tunable perfect acoustic absorption at subwavelength thickness has been a prominent topic in scientific research and engineering applications. Although metamaterials such as labyrinthine metasurfaces and coiling-up-space metamaterials can achieve subwavelength low-frequency acoustic absorption, efficiently realizing tunable absorption under uniform and limited size conditions remains challenging. In this paper, we introduce a folded slit to enhance the micro-slit acoustic absorber, effectively improving its low-frequency acoustic absorption performance and successfully achieving a perfect acoustic absorption coefficient of 0.99 at a thickness of only 3.1 cm. By adjusting just two parameters of the folded area, we can efficiently achieve a tunable resonant frequency ranging from 525 to 673 Hz and a tunable acoustic absorption bandwidth of 56.5% to 60.2%, simultaneously maintaining uniform external dimensions. Additionally, the folded-slit absorber demonstrates a broader acoustic absorption bandwidth at lower frequencies, enhancing broadband absorption capabilities in the low-frequency domain. These results hold significant potential for the design of highly efficient, thin and tunable acoustic absorbers. Full article

In this paper, we proposed an ultra-thin composite metasurface for broadband sound absorption, in which a compound Helmholtz structure and porous materials are coupled in a parallel-series arrangement. The Helmholtz structure comprises multiple compound cells with hybrid-damping modes, in which the over-damping and matched-damping impedance are integrated for a lower and broader absorption spectrum. By coupling the porous materials, the metasurface obtains above 85% average absorption over 750–10,000 Hz with a thickness of 31 mm, and the performance below 1600 Hz is significantly enhanced compared to the pure porous materials. This metasurface could possess broad applications in modern equipment considering its extraordinary absorption and compact structure. Full article

The manipulation of refracted wavefronts is eye-catching for owning attractive applications. In this article, an airborne acoustic flat lens for broadband focusing via cross-shape structure was proposed and demonstrated, introducing the broadband manipulation of wavefronts. The designed metasurface employs gradient refractive index cells to redirect the sound wave. Based on our theory, the effective refractive indexes of our unit cells can be easily calculated. The shackle of narrowband metasurfaces is conquered, and applications in medical ultrasound imaging are just around the corner. Full article

A method for realizing broadband acoustic metasurfaces composed of a one-dimensional distributed transmission-line model is proposed. There are no design formulas for determining the structural parameters of the structure constituting acoustic metasurfaces in the conventional method, and therefore parameter extractions by means of many calculations with numerical simulations are needed to realize acoustic metasurfaces. There are also narrow band operations or impedance matching problems. On the other hand, this paper shows that we can design broadband acoustic metasurfaces by determining the structural parameters with the design formulas of the model without many calculations. An acoustic metasurface that refracts incident plane waves at an angle of 20 degrees is first designed by using one-dimensional meander acoustic waveguide structures equivalent to the model, and these structural parameters are determined by the design formulas of the model and the modifications of the error from the theory. Full-wave simulations are performed, and the broadband operations and the validity of the design theory are shown from these results. Furthermore, a broadband acoustic flat lens is designed with the proposed structures as an example of the application of the proposed method, and these operations are also demonstrated by similar full-wave simulations. Full article

Acoustic holography is an essential tool for controlling sound waves, generating highly complex and customizable sound fields, and enabling the visualization of sound fields. Based on acoustic sieve metasurfaces (ASMs), this paper proposes a theoretical design approach for zero-thickness broadband holograms. The ASM is a zero-thickness rigid screen with a large number of small holes that allow sound waves to pass through and produce the desired real image in the target plane. The hole arrangement rules are determined using a genetic algorithm and the Rayleigh–Sommerfeld theory. Because the wave from a hole has no extra phase or amplitude modulation, the intractable modulation dispersion can be physically avoided, allowing the proposed ASM-based hologram to potentially function in any frequency band as long as the condition of paraxial approximation is satisfied. Using a numerical simulation based on the combination of the finite element method (FEM) and the boundary element method (BEM), this research achieves broadband holographic imaging with a good effect. The proposed theoretical zero-thickness broadband hologram may provide new possibilities for acoustic holography applications. Full article

The primary noise sources of the vehicle are the engine, exhaust, aeroacoustic noise, and tire–pavement interaction. Noise generated by the first three factors can be reduced by replacing the combustion engine with an electric motor and optimizing aerodynamic design. Currently, a dominant noise within automobiles occurs from the tire–pavement interaction over a speed of 70–80 km/h. Most noise suppression efforts aim to use sound absorbers and cavity resonators to narrow the bandwidth of acoustic frequencies using foams. We demonstrate a technique utilizing acoustic metasurfaces (AMSes) with high reflective characteristics using relatively lightweight materials for noise reduction without any change in mechanical strength or weight of the tire. A simple technique is demonstrated that utilizes acoustic metalayers with high reflective characteristics using relatively lightweight materials for noise reduction without any change in mechanical strength or weight of the tire. The proposed design can significantly reduce the noise arising from tire–pavement interaction over a broadband of acoustic frequencies under 1000 Hz and over a wide range of vehicle speeds using a negative effective dynamic mass density approach. The experiment demonstrated that the sound transmission loss of AMSes is 2–5 dB larger than the acoustic foam near the cavity mode, at 200–300 Hz. The proposed approach can be extended to the generalized area of acoustic and vibration isolation. Full article

Aiming at the key factors affecting the quality and efficiency of high-energy in-beam machining, this paper studies the broadband acoustic focusing effect based on a discrete temperature gradient. Firstly, the basic theory and mathematical model of temperature-controlled acoustic focusing are established. Secondly, the acoustic focusing effect is achieved by combining the design of metasurfaces and discrete temperature. Then, the acoustic pressure and intensity distribution of acoustic focusing under a discrete temperature gradient are simulated and experimentally studied. The results show that the phase delay of transmission and reflection of acoustic wave covers the 2π interval by changing the temperature in different transmission units, which provides a theoretical basis for the processing of the acoustic focusing cavity. Full article

We present a multi-band acoustic metamaterial (AMM) with a single structural unit of a nested split hollow sphere (NSHS). The transmissions of the NSHS-AMM from the simulation and experiment revealed two dips which were attributed to local coupling resonance. Using the retrieval method from the experimental data, we calculated the effective modulus of the NSHS-AMM and found it to be negative near the bands of the two dips. The AMM with a negative modulus can be easily tuned due to the coupling effect in the NSHS. The two dips can be simultaneously tuned by changing the diameter and the direction angle of the split holes of the interior and exterior split hollow sphere (SHS) in the NSHS. We designed a three-nested SHS-AMM with a negative modulus in three bands. Given the obvious local coupling resonance in the NSHS, such NSHS-AMMs may provide a viable path for the design of broadband AMMs or acoustic metasurfaces. Full article

We present an acoustic metamaterial (AMM) consisting of a dumbbell-shaped split hollow sphere (DSSHS). Transmission results of experiments and simulations both presented a transmitted dip at the resonant frequency of AMM, which demonstrated its negative modulus property. As the two split holes in the DSSHS had strong coupling effects for the acoustic medium in the local region, the dip could be simply manipulated by tuning the distance between the split holes. When the distance was large enough, the mutual inductance tended to disappear, and a weak interaction existed in the structure. According to the property of weak interaction, a multiband AMM and a broadband AMM with a negative modulus could be achieved by arraying DSSHS clusters with different distances. Furthermore, mutual inductance and coupling in DSSHS reinforced the local resonance, and this kind of cell could be used to design the acoustic metasurface to abnormally control the refractive waves. Full article