X-ray diffraction analysis of the surface acoustic wave propagation in langatate crystal

X-ray diffraction on a langatate crystal (La₃Ga_5.5Ta_0.5O₁₄, LGT) modulated by a Λ=12 μm Rayleigh surface acoustic wave (SAW) was studied in a double axis X-ray diffractometer scheme at the BESSY synchrotron radiation source. SAW propagation in the crystal causes sinusoidal modulation of the crystal lattice and the appearance of diffraction satellites on the rocking curves, with their number, angular positions, and intensities depending on the wavelength and amplitude of acoustic vibrations of the crystal lattice. Strong absorption of X-ray radiation in LGT enables the observation of the diffraction spectra extinction at certain SAW amplitudes. X-ray diffraction spectra analysis makes it possible to determine SAW amplitudes and wavelengths, to measure the power flow angles, and investigate the diffraction divergence in acoustic beam in LGT.     

Anisotropic propagation of surface acoustic waves on nitride layers

The anisotropic propagation of surface acoustic modes in GaN and AlN induced by the c-sapphire substrate is presented. In the GaN case, the slow acoustic propagation velocity of GaN compared with sapphire leads to guided modes in the overlayer, which propagate at higher velocities but are more attenuated than the Rayleigh mode. Above the transonic state, pseudo-SAW modes are observed, some of them with low insertion losses. In contrast, only the Rayleigh mode is observed in AlN filters due to its higher acoustic propagation velocity with respect to sapphire. The difference in the crystal structure of the sapphire and the nitrides induces a dependence of the sound velocity of all the modes, and hence their frequency, on the propagation direction. The simulations show very good agreement with the experimental data for both nitride/sapphire structures when the anisotropy induced by the substrate is taken into account.     

Electromagnetic wave propagation from a point source in air through a medium with a negative refractive index

Refraction of an electromagnetic wave from a point source to a medium with a negative refractive index is considered. An electric Hertz dipole that is located in air and directed parallel to a plane interface is considered as the point source. It is rigorously shown that the electromagnetic radiation propagated from the dipole into the medium with the negative refractive index is focused within a certain region in this medium. The sizes of the focusing region are determined. As a result, it is pointed out that the diffraction limit cannot be overcome by using homogeneous materials with negative refractive indices.     

Effects of surface roughness on surface acoustic wave propagation in semiconductor materials

The effect of surface roughness on adhesion and tribological properties of films and interfaces is of key importance. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to be able to measure this quantity and to predict the effects that different roughness levels may cause. Roughness affects the propagation of surface acoustic waves on a material but there is little useful quantitative data on the topic. This work investigates the dispersive effect of roughness on surface acoustic wavepackets (30-200 MHz frequency range) for different degrees of nanometer roughness on silicon (0 0 1) and (1 1 1) surfaces, we show that the roughness-induced frequency dispersion effect is significant, and that although available theories agree qualitatively with the results, the theory is not adequate to predict the real SAW dispersion. These experimental results have considerable implications for design of SAW devices, for accuracy of Brillouin spectroscopy measurements, and for possible applications to non-destructive testing of materials. Previously unknown dispersive effects on anisotropic crystal surfaces are also demonstrated.     

FE simulation of laser generated surface acoustic wave propagation in skin

Advances in laser ultrasonics have opened new possibilities in medical applications, such as the characterization of skin properties. This paper describes the development of a multilayered finite element model (FEM) using ANSYS to simulate the propagation of laser generated thermoelastic surface acoustic waves (SAWs) through skin and to generate signals one would expect to observe without causing thermal damage to skin. A transient thermal analysis is developed to simulate the thermal effect of the laser source penetrating into the skin. The results from the thermal analysis are subsequently applied as a load to the structural analysis where the out-of-plane displacement responses are analysed in models with varying dermis layer thickness.     

The influence of turbulence on noise propagation from a point source above a flat ground surface

The presence of turbulence in the atmosphere affects the interaction between an acoustic wave and the ground surface. The noise attenuation by the ground in the presence of atmospheric turbulence is smaller than in non-turbulent atmosphere.A simple engineering model of noise propagation above a flat ground surface, for stationary and moving point sources, has been proposed. The model takes into account the air absorption and ground effect in the presence of turbulence.As well as parameters for type of ground and air absorption, the model introduces two adjustable parameters which must be deduced from in situ measurements at two ranges or two heights. The model’s free parameters have been obtained as a function of the resultant sound speed gradient on the basis of the field measurements performed for a stationary noise source. Also, using field data for a vehicle moving at steady speeds up to 100 km/h, the model has been verified for a moving point source.     

Anisotropic acoustooptic modulator of nonpolarized light based on diffraction by a slow acoustic wave in a paratellurite crystal

The problem of anisotropic Bragg diffraction of nonpolarized light by a slow acoustic wave in a TeO₂ crystal is solved. Two independent acoustic waves are excited in the crystal. Nonpolarized light splits in the crystal into two orthogonally polarized eigenmodes, either diffracting by its associated acoustic beam. Conditions under which the angles of incidence and diffraction are the same for both diffraction processes are found. Depending on the acoustic frequency, the diffracted light at the exit from the crystal may be represented either by a single nonpolarized beam or by two orthogonally polarized beams with different directions and orthogonal polarizations. This may provide a high diffraction efficiency (up to 100%) for nonpolarized light in a TeO₂ crystal. Theoretical calculations are supported by experiments. Modulators capable of controlling a high-power laser operating at a wavelength of 1.06 μm are fabricated.     

Acoustic propagation from a spiral wave front source in an ocean environment

A spiral wave front source generates a pressure field that has a phase that depends linearly on the azimuthal angle at which it is measured. This differs from a point source that has a phase that is constant with direction. The spiral wave front source has been developed for use in navigation; however, very little work has been done to model this source in an ocean environment. To this end, the spiral wave front analogue of the acoustic point source is developed and is shown to be related to the point source through a simple transformation. This makes it possible to transform the point source solution in a particular ocean environment into the solution for a spiral source in the same environment. Applications of this transformation are presented for a spiral source near the ocean surface and seafloor as well as for the more general case of propagation in a horizontally stratified waveguide.     

Two-dimensional acoustic wave propagation in elastic ducts

Integral transforms are employed in order to obtain a formal solution to the two-dimensional elastic-walled duct problem. The fluid inside the duct is stationary, inviscid and compressible, and is identical to the fluid outside the duct. A time-harmonic line source lies between the duct walls. With attention confined to the field inside the duct, an asymptotic analysis is implemented for high and low frequencies, yielding residues which are valid throughout the duct and branch-cut contributions which apply only in the far field.     

Time delay temperature behaviour of surface acoustic waves propagation on crystal substrate

A method is described for the computation of the time delay temperature behaviour for surface acoustic waves propagated in a surface layer of piezoelectric crystals. The linear field equations for small vibration superposed on thermally induced deformation were employed in the determination of the time delay temperature behaviour. The computed time delay temperature dependence of the surface acoustic waves propagated in the digonal axis direction on the ZX-cut quartz plate is given as an example.     

Optical wave propagation in photonic crystal metamaterials

Metamaterials that provide negative refraction can be implemented in photonic crystals (PhCs) through careful design of the devices. Theoretically, we demonstrate that the dispersion can be altered to achieve negative refraction. This can be done through engineering the geometry of the device as well as selecting appropriate materials. The PhC also demonstrates slow light that facilitate sensing chemicals or biological agents. Using metallic materials such as gold nano-particle enables PhCs to guide optical waves in desired pathways. Also using magnetic materials such as highly doped n-GaAs, we can tune the band gap by changing magnetic field. The simulated results are consistent with some of the previously reported experimental results and give us guidance for future experiments.     

Features of surface acoustic wave propagation in lithium niobate damaged by an electron beam

The propagation of surface acoustic waves (SAWs) in a thin-film aluminum waveguide of Δv/v type fabricated on a 128° Y-X LiNbO₃ plate by lift-off lithography and direct writing by a 20-keV electron beamis studied experimentally. The temperature dependence of the phase of the signal passed through an SAW delayline exhibits steps and hysteresis. The line consists of such a waveguide and two interdigital transducers with acenter frequency of 486 MHz and is exposed to a nitrogen flow. The vapors of water-containing analytes introduced into the nitrogen flow cause anomalous phase changes. These changes are of opposite sign and more thanone order of magnitude greater than the phase changes observed under similar conditions in specimens fabricated by optical lithography. It is concluded that these phenomena offer possibilities for designing SAW humidity sensors with a low threshold of sensitivity.     

An analysis of surface acoustic wave propagation in a plate of functionally graded materials with a layered model

In a homogeneous plate, Rayleigh waves will have a symmetric and anti-symmetric mode regarding to the mid-plane with different phase velocities. If plate properties vary along the thickness, or the plate is of functionally graded material (FGM), the symmetry of modes and frequency behavior will be modified, thus producing different features for engineering applications such as amplifying or reducing the velocity and deformation. This kind of effect can also be easily realized by utilizing a layered structure with desired material properties that can produce these effects in terms of velocity and displacements, since Rayleigh waves in a solid with general material property grading schemes are difficult to analyze with known methods. Solutions from layered structures with exponential and polynomial property grading schemes are obtained from the layered model and comparisons with known analytical results are made to validate the method and examine possible applications of such structures in engineering. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 10432030, 10125209, and 10572065) and the Teaching and Research Award Program for Outstanding Young Teachers in Higher Education Institutions, Ministry of Education of China, and also supported by Qianjiang River Fellow Fund established by Zhejiang Provincial Government and Ningbo University and administered by Ningbo University, Zhejiang, China     

Soliton-like propagation modes of picosecond acoustic pulses in a paramagnetic crystal

The nonlinear propagation of picosecond acoustic pulses at an arbitrary angle to an external magnetic field is studied in an elastically isotropic paramagnetic crystal at low temperatures. Various soliton-like propagation modes arising due to spin-phonon interaction and acoustic anharmonicity are revealed, and the stability of these modes with respect to transverse perturbations is analyzed. In the case of defocusing cubic nonlinearity, the crystal can support the propagation of compression pulses, which undergo defocusing, and rarefaction pulses can propagate in the self-channeling mode. In the case of focusing cubic nonlinearity, only compression pulses can propagate if the conditions of stability with respect to self-focusing are satisfied.     

Analysis of a monolithic crystal plate acoustic wave filter

We study thickness–shear and thickness–twist vibrations of a finite, monolithic, AT-cut quartz plate crystal filter with two pairs of electrodes. The equations of anisotropic elasticity are used with the omission of the small elastic constant c₅₆. An analytical solution is obtained using Fourier series from which the resonant frequencies, mode shapes, and the vibration confinement due to the electrode inertia are calculated and examined.     

A computational method for wave propagation from a point load in an anisotropic material

One approach which is employed to solve dynamic point load problems in plates and laminates is to take integral transforms to reduce the governing equations to a system of ordinary differential equations with respect to the depth variable. The solution of this system leads to expressions for the transforms of the displacement and stress components at any level in the plate and the transient response at any location may then be recovered by inversion of the multiple transforms. The formal transform inversion involves a double infinite integral but by making a change of variable this may be replaced by an infinite integral associated with a line source and a finite integral with respect to the orientation of the line. A first attempt at applying this approach to obtain the point load response of quasi-isotropic fibre composite laminate led to a non-causal predicted signal. This paper deals with an investigation of this proposed method applied to the simpler model problem of wave propagation in a two-dimensional anisotropic medium. Results are obtained for two different time histories of point loads, namely: a delta function; and a single period of a sine function. In the case of the delta function source a comparison is made with the analytic solution and the errors arising from the numerical approach are discussed. Graphs are also presented showing the non-causal contributions to the overall response which arise at individual angles of orientation of the line source.     

Coherent acoustic wave propagation in media with pair-correlated spheres

Propagation of plane compressional waves in a non-viscous fluid with a dense distribution of identical spherical scatterers is investigated. The analysis is based on the multiple scattering approach proposed by Fikioris and Waterman, and is generalized to include arbitrary choice of the pair-correlation functions used to represent the distribution of the scatterers. A closed form solution for the effective wavenumber as a function of the concentration of pair-correlated finite-size spheres is derived up to the second order. In the limit of uncorrelated point-scatterers, this solution is identical to that obtained by Lloyd and Berry. Different pair-correlation functions are exemplified and compared, and the resulting differences discussed.     

Dynamics of a longitudinal-and-transverse acoustic wave in a crystal with paramagnetic impurities

The evolution of longitudinal-and-transverse acoustic pulses propagating along an external magnetic field through a system of resonant paramagnetic impurities with effective spin S=1/2 is studied theoretically. It is shown that, when the group velocities of longitudinal and transverse waves are equal and the impurity concentration is sufficiently small, the initial system of equations is reduced to new evolution equations, which are integrable within the framework of the inverse scattering problem approach. These equations qualitatively describe the new coherent dynamics of acoustic pulses.