Comparison between the dispersion curves calculated in complex frequency and the minima of the reflection coefficients for an embedded layer

Analytical solutions of Lamb functions for symmetric and antisymmetric elastodynamic modes propagating within a solid layer embedded in an infinite medium are presented. Alternative theoretical analyses of such modes are performed, first in terms of the usual approach of harmonic heterogeneous plane waves (real frequency and complex slowness) and then in terms of transient homogeneous plane waves (complex frequency and real slowness). An example structure of a 0.1-mm-thick "alpha case" (an oxygen-rich phase of titanium that is relatively stiff) plate embedded in titanium is used for the study. A large difference between the usual dispersion curves calculated in real frequency and complex slowness and those calculated in complex frequency and real slowness is shown. Thus the choice between a spatial and a temporal parameter to describe the imaginary part of the guided waves is shown to be significant. The minima and the zeros of the longitudinal and shear plane-wave reflection coefficients are calculated and are compared with the dispersion curves. It is found that they do not match with the dispersion curves for complex slowness, but they do agree quite well with the dispersion curves for complex frequency. This implies that the complex frequency approach is better suited for the comparison of the modal properties with near-field reflection measurements.