Calculation of leaky Lamb waves with a semi-analytical finite element method

A semi-analytical finite element method (SAFE) has been widely used for calculating dispersion curves and mode shapes of guided waves as well as transient waves in a bar like structures. Although guided wave inspection is often conducted for water-loaded plates and pipes, most of the SAFE techniques have not been extended to a plate with leaky media. This study describes leaky Lamb wave calculation with the SAFE. We formulated a new solution using a feature that a single Lamb wave mode generates a harmonic plane wave in leaky media. Dispersion curves obtained with the SAFE agreed well with the previous theoretical studies, which represents that the SAFE calculation was conducted with sufficient accuracy. Moreover, we discussed dispersion curves, attenuation curves, and displacement distributions for total transmission modes and leaky plate modes in a single side and both two side water-loaded plate.     

Measurements of dispersion curves of leaky Lamb waves using a lensless line-focus transducer.

This paper presents a new method of measuring dispersion curves of leaky Lamb waves propagating in a thin plate. The measurement system is based on a lens-less line-focus transducer and its defocusing measurement technique. A new waveform processing method known as V(f, z) method is introduced for analyzing the measured waveforms and for extracting the dispersion relation. For two thin-plate samples, namely a 150 microm thick alumina plate and a 320 microm thick stainless steel plate, the dispersion curves of several lower order modes of leaky Lamb waves have been experimentally determined in the frequency range of few to 25 MHz. The experimental dispersion curves have then been compared with the theoretical ones. Excellent agreement is observed. It is then verify that this method indeed provides a convenient and accurate way for experimentally measuring dispersion curves of leaky Lamb waves of thin-plate samples.     

Bulk-wave and guided-wave photoacoustic evaluation of the mechanical properties of aluminum/silicon nitride double-layer thin films

The development of devices made of micro- and nano-structured thin film materials has resulted in the need for advanced measurement techniques to characterize their mechanical properties. Photoacoustic techniques, which use pulsed laser irradiation to nondestructively induce very high frequency ultrasound in a test object via rapid thermal expansion, are suitable for nondestructive and non-contact evaluation of thin films. In this paper, we compare two photoacoustic techniques to characterize the mechanical parameters of edge-supported aluminum and silicon nitride double-layer thin films. The elastic properties and residual stresses in such films affect their mechanical performance. In a first set of experiments, a femtosecond transient pump–probe technique is used to investigate the Young’s moduli of the aluminum and silicon nitride layers by launching ultra-high frequency bulk acoustic waves in the films. The measured transient signals are compared with simulated transient thermoelastic signals in multi-layer structures, and the elastic moduli are determined. Independent pump–probe tests on silicon substrate-supported region and unsupported region are in good agreement. In a second set of experiments, dispersion curves of the A₀ mode of the Lamb waves that propagate along the unsupported films are measured using a broadband photoacoustic guided-wave method. The residual stresses and flexural rigidities for the same set of double-layer membranes are determined from these dispersion curves. Comparisons of the results obtained by the two photoacoustic techniques are made and discussed.     

Lamb waves in phononic crystal slabs: truncated plane parallels to the axis of periodicity

A theoretical study is presented on the propagation properties of Lamb wave modes in phononic crystal slabs consisting of a row or more of parallel square cylinders placed periodically in the host material. The surfaces of the slabs are parallel to the axis of periodicity. The dispersion curves of Lamb wave modes are calculated based on the supercell method. The finite element method is employed to calculate the band structures and the transmission power spectra, which are in good agreement with the results by the supercell method. We also have found that the dispersion curves of Lamb waves are strongly dependent on the crystal termination, which is the position of the cut plane through the square cylinders. There exist complete or incomplete (truncated) layers of square cylinders with the change of the crystal termination. The influence of the crystal termination on the band gaps of Lamb wave modes is analyzed by numerical simulations. The variation of the crystal termination leads to obvious changes in the dispersion curves of the Lamb waves and the widths of the band gaps.     

Guided Waves in a Multi-Layered Cylindrical Elastic Solid Medium

We investigate the guided waves in a multi-layered cylindrical elastic solid medium. The dispersion function of guided waves is usually complex and the dispersion curves of all modes are not conveniently obtained. Here we present an effective method to obtain the dispersion curves of all modes. First, the dispersion function of the guided waves is transformed into a real function. The dispersion curves are then calculated for all the modes of the guided waves by the bisection method. The modes with the orders n = 0, 1, and 2 are analysed in two- and three-layer media. The existence condition of Stoneley wave is discussed. The modes of the guided waves are also investigated in a two-layer medium, in which the velocity of shear wave in the outer layer is less than that in the inner layer.     

Determination of ultrasonic wave velocities and phase velocity dispersion curves of an Inconel 600 plate using resonant ultrasound spectroscopy and leaky Lamb waves

A plate of Inconel 600 was interrogated using the resonant ultrasound spectroscopy (RUS) and the reflected leaky Lamb waves (LLW). It was found that the plate used in the present work has anisotropy in its material properties by the RUS. The longitudinal and the transverse wave velocities of the Inconel 600 plate were determined by the RUS, ultrasonic pulse-echo method and cut-off frequencies of the LLWs. The wave velocities in the direction of thickness determined by the RUS under the assumption of the orthotropic symmetry were quite similar to those obtained by other methods, the pulse-echo method and from cut-off frequencies. The reflected LLW from the plate was measured with varying the incident angle. The dispersion curves obtained from the reflected LLWs show good agreement with the theoretical calculation in general. The mismatches may be caused by anisotropy of the plate.     

含有孔隙的层状材料中声表面波传播特性的理论研究

研究含有孔隙的层状材料中Rayleigh波的传播特性。采用本征函数展开法,并利用孔隙率与材料的弹性常数和密度之间的关系,模拟了不同孔隙率情况下铁基氧化铝层状材料中Rayleigh波的相速度色散曲线,分析了孔隙率对铁基氧化铝层状材料中Rayleigh波相速度的影响。Rayleigh波色散曲线的变化规律能同时反映层状材料中弹性模量、泊松比、密度和孔隙率的信息,为含有孔隙的层状材料参数的反演提供了理论依据。     

Modeling of the optical properties of porous silicon photonic crystals in the visible spectral range

Optical devices based on photonic crystals are of great interest because they can be efficiently used in laser physics and biosensing. Photonic crystals allow one to control the propagation of electromagnetic waves and to change the emission characteristics of luminophores embedded into photonic structures. One of the most interesting materials for developing one-dimensional photonic crystals is porous silicon. However, an important problem in application of this material is the control of the refractive index of layers by changing their porosity, as well as the refractive index dispersion. In addition, it is important to have the possibility of modeling the optical properties of structures to choose precisely select the fabrication parameters and produce one-dimensional photonic crystals with prescribed properties. In order to solve these problems, we used a mathematical model based on the transfer matrix method, using the Bruggeman model, and on the dispersion of silicon refractive index. We fabricated microcavities by electrochemical etching of silicon, with parameters determined by the proposed model, and measured their reflection spectra. The calculated results showed good agreement with experimental data. The model proposed allowed us to achieve a microcavity Q-factor of 160 in the visible region.     

ESTIMATION OF 3D FIELD QUANTITIES AND ENERGY FLUX ASSOCIATED WITH ELASTIC WAVES IN A BAR

A method to estimate dispersion relations and warping associated with elastic wave propagation in a bar is presented. The method is based on Hamilton's principle. It is shown how the theoretical model together with strain measurements can be used to evaluate three dimensional (3D) field quantities like displacements and stresses at an arbitrary position in the bar, as well as energy flux through an arbitrary cross-section of the bar. It is also shown how redundant measurements can be used to increase the accuracy. The method is general and can be applied to any mode of wave propagation, isotropic or anisotropic linearly elastic material, and any cross-sectional geometry. Here, it is applied to longitudinal waves in a split Hopkinson pressure bar with linear elastic isotropic material behaviour and square cross-section. In particular, axial displacement, axial stress and energy flux are evaluated at a free end of the bar in order to test the method. The method is also used to estimate the Poisson ratio of the bar material, by measuring axial and transverse strains at the same axial position.     

Measurement of the dispersion relation of guided non-axisymmetric waves in filament-wound cylindrical structures

To determine the dispersion relation, guided waves are excited in specimens over a broad frequency range. The surface displacements are measured over time and space. The recorded data are analysed using a quasi-three-dimensional spectrum estimation algorithm. In the time domain a fast Fourier transform is used to extract the frequencies. To obtain the wave numbers, in space a two-dimensional matrix-pencil approach is applied to the data set. Using a suitable constitutive model (transversely isotropic or orthotropic) dispersion curves are calculated. Good agreement was found between the experimental and the numerically calculated dispersion relations after adjusting the material parameters. Since the dispersion relation of a structure depends on the mechanical material properties frequency-dependent material parameters can be extracted from the above-mentioned relation between frequency and wave number.     

超声兰姆波的时频分析

声-超声方法在被测板件厚度较小时,板中传播的超声波模式主要是多模式的兰姆波。由于兰姆波的复杂性,声-超声方法回避了对信号进行进一步深入的分析,而采用所谓“应力波因子”对材料中能量耗散进行相对度量。当多模式与频散同时存在时,信号的识别异常困难,本文采用时-频分析的方法对声-超声信号进行了分离,只需一次测量就可满足分析要求。通过对兰姆波信号的伪Wigner-Ville分布进行时频重排和图像特征提取,能够精确地获得兰姆波的局部群速度频散曲线。     

Non-destructive evaluation of elastic material properties in anisotropic circular cylindrical structures

In this paper, non-axisymmetric guided wave propagation in circular cylindrical, anisotropic structures is studied in a frequency range up to 1 MHz. The investigations are carried out with carbon fibre reinforced tubes. The aim is the experimental determination of their effective linear elastic material properties in a non-destructive way. Therefore, an analytical model of the dispersion equation is fitted to the experimentally detected dispersion curves by systematically adjusting the desired material properties. A total least square scheme accompanied by an outlier detection criterion is used for this optimization task. Since the raw data of the measured dispersion curves contain a lot of noise, these outliers have to be detected and excluded, to achieve accurate results. Good agreement is found between the measured curves and the analytically calculated curves based on the estimated parameters. This fact indicates a high accuracy of the determined material properties.     

Non-destructive evaluation of elastic material properties in anisotropic circular cylindrical structures

In this paper, non-axisymmetric guided wave propagation in circular cylindrical, anisotropic structures is studied in a frequency range up to 1 MHz. The investigations are carried out with carbon fibre reinforced tubes. The aim is the experimental determination of their effective linear elastic material properties in a non-destructive way. Therefore, an analytical model of the dispersion equation is fitted to the experimentally detected dispersion curves by systematically adjusting the desired material properties. A total least square scheme accompanied by an outlier detection criterion is used for this optimization task. Since the raw data of the measured dispersion curves contain a lot of noise, these outliers have to be detected and excluded, to achieve accurate results. Good agreement is found between the measured curves and the analytically calculated curves based on the estimated parameters. This fact indicates a high accuracy of the determined material properties.     

Rayleigh wave and detection of low-velocity layers in a stratified half-space

The excitation and propagation of the guided waves in a stratified half-space and a Rayleigh wave exploration method in shallow engineering seismic exploration are studied in this paper. All the modes of the guided waves are calculated by the bisection method in the case where the low velocity layers are contained in a stratified half-space. Cases when the formation shear wave velocity gradually decreases from the top to the bottom layers are also studied. The dispersion curves obtained in actual Rayleigh wave exploration are usually noncontinual zigzag curves, but the dispersion curves given by the elastic theory for given modes of the guided waves are smooth and continual curves. In this paper, the mechanism of zigzag dispersion curves in Rayleigh wave exploration is investigated and analyzed thoroughly. The zigzag dispersion curves can give not only the possible positions of the low-velocity layers but also the other information on the formation structure (fractures, oil, gas, etc.). It is found that the zigzag dispersion curves of the Rayleigh wave are the result of the leap of the modes and the existence of low velocity layers in a stratified half-space. The effects of the compressional wave velocity, shear wave velocity, and density of each layer on zigzag dispersion curves and the relationship of the low velocity layers to zigzag dispersion curves are also investigated in detail. Finally, the exploration depth of the Rayleigh wave is discussed. The exploration depth of the Rayleigh wave is equal to the wavelength multiplied by a coefficient that is variable and usually given by the work experience and the formation properties of the local work area.     

Circumferential waves for a cylindrical shell in smooth contact with a continuum

Dispersion relations are determined for circumferential waves propagating in a layered, circular cylinder by using shell equations to approximate the behavior of the outer layer. These equations include the effects of transverse shear deformation and rotatory inertia. The cylinder consists of an elastic core in smooth contact with a hollow, circular cylinder of distinctly different elastic properties. Two distinct modes exist as the shell thickness reduces to zero. One mode is recognized to be surface waves on the convex cylindrical surface of the core; the second mode is associated with long longitudinal waves in the shell. The approximate dispersion curves for these modes are compared with curves obtained by employing elasticity equations for the layer. As the curvature increases, the agreement of the two theories becomes progressively poorer whether or not any disagreement exists for the case of no curvature. The agreement of the two theories is better when the layer is relatively stiff than when the layer is relatively soft. The shell equations simplify the calculations necessary to produce the dispersion curves.     

Acoustic waves in (001) InN–AlN and InN–GaN superlattices

We study the acoustic waves of (001) InN–AlN and InN–GaN superlattices. We obtain the dispersion curves for various symmetric and general orientations of the wavevector parallel to the interfaces. The results reveal the impact of the elastic anisotropy due to the zinc-blende structure of the constituent materials. It is found that for certain material parameters and orientations, the dispersion curves exhibit wide gaps with potential for the existence of surface localized waves.     

Numerical investigation of dispersion relations for helical waveguides using the Scaled Boundary Finite Element method

In this paper, the dispersion properties of elastic waves in helical waveguides are investigated. The formulation is based on the Scaled Boundary Finite Element method (SBEFM). With a set of orthogonal unit basis introduced as the contravariant basis, the helical coordinate is firstly considered, where components of tensor retain the dimension of original quantity. Based on the strain–displacement relation, the eigenvalue matrix is obtained about wavenumbers and frequencies. The cross section of the waveguides is discretized by using high-order spectral elements. Moreover, the formulated linear matrix is utilized to design efficient and accurate algorithms to compute the eigenvalues of helical waveguides. Compared with the Pochhammer–Chree curves, the convergence and accuracy of the SBFEM are discussed. Finally, we give some dispersion curves for a wide range of lay angles and analyze in detail properties of cut-off frequency, mode separation and mode transition for elastic wave propagation in the helical waveguides.     

An alternative method for plotting dispersion curves

Solving the frequency equation and plotting the dispersion curves in problems of wave propagation in cylinders and plates, particularly when the material is anisotropic, are complicated tasks. The traditional numerical methods are usually based on determination of the zeros of the frequency equation by using an iterative find-root algorithm. In this paper, an alternative method is proposed which extracts the solution of the frequency equation in the form of dispersion curves from the three-dimensional illustration of the frequency equation. For this purpose, a three-dimensional representation of the real roots of the frequency equation is first plotted. The dispersion curves, which are the numerical solutions of the frequency equation, are then obtained by a suitable cut in the velocity-frequency plane. The advantages of this method include simplicity, high speed, low possibility of numerical error, and presentation of the results in a graphical form that promotes ease of interpretation. This method is not directly applicable to problems which incorporate high damping or leaky waves. However, if the damping is not very high, it could be a good estimate of the true dispersion curves.     

Acoustics of shells

We discuss the physical phenomena that arise in the scattering of acoustic waves from fluid-immersed elastic (metal) shells which may be either evacuated or filled with the same or with a different fluid. The phenomena occurring here include the formation of circumferential (peripheral, or “surface”) waves that circumnavigate the shells, propagating either as elastic waves in the shell material or as fluid-borne waves of the Scholte-Stoneley type in the external or the internal fluid. By phase matching along a closed circuit, these waves may lead to prominent resonances in the acoustic scattering amplitude, and we demonstrate how the set of observed resonance frequencies is related to the dispersive phase velocities of the surface waves, so that one can be determined from the other. In addition, we discuss how the dispersion curves (phase velocity plotted vs. frequency) of the various types of surface waves show repulsion phenomena due to their coupling through the boundary conditions. The cases of spherical and cylindrical shells are investigated here as typical examples, and as an introductory topic we additionally mention surface waves on plates where related phenomena also occur. Both the theoretical and the experimental aspects of the present subject will be considered, including the experimental visualization of the surface waves.     

Spin-wave spectroscopy and application of its methods to heterostructures of silicon dioxide with Co nanoparticles on a GaAs substrate

A method has been developed for determining magnetic and electrical characteristics of film nanostructures containing magnetic nanoparticles from dispersion curves of surface spin waves propagating in these nanostructures. The dispersion curves of spin waves are determined by the dynamics of the spin component described by the generalized Landau-Lifshitz equations and an alternating electromagnetic field induced by a spin wave. Since spin waves are very sensitive to inhomogeneity of magnetic parameters, spin disorder, and conductivity of an object near or inside which these waves propagate, they can be used for determining magnetic and electrical characteristics of the objects under investigation. The developed calculation method, which can be employed both in spin-wave spectroscopy and in analysis of dispersion curves obtained by other methods, has been used for determining parameters of heterostructures consisting of a SiO₂ film with Co nanoparticles on a GaAs substrate. It has been found from the shape of dispersion curves of the surface spin waves that, in the film near the interface, spins of the nanoparticles are close to a ferromagnetic ordering, whereas near the free surface, the spin orientation of nanoparticles is more chaotic. It has been revealed that a conducting layer is formed in GaAs, and the SiO₂(Co) film near the interface has an increased conductivity.