Diacritical study of light, electrons, and sound scattering by particles and holes

TL;DR

This paper compares how scalar and vector waves like light, electrons, and sound interact with particles and holes, revealing both shared and unique behaviors across different wave types.

Contribution

It provides analytical insights into wave interactions with particles and holes, highlighting differences in surface modes and transmission properties among light, electrons, and sound.

Findings

Small-hole arrays in perfect screens do not produce surface-bound states for sound and electrons.

Sound transmission through individual holes is proportional to their area, regardless of size.

Distinct behaviors in wave interactions are systematically analyzed across different wave types.

Abstract

We discuss the differences and similarities in the interaction of scalar and vector wave-fields with particles and holes. Analytical results are provided for the transmission of isolated and arrayed small holes as well as surface modes in hole arrays for light, electrons, and sound. In contrast to the optical case, small-hole arrays in perforated perfect screens cannot produce acoustic or electronic surface-bound states. However, unlike electrons and light, sound is transmitted through individual holes approximately in proportion to their area, regardless their size. We discuss these issues with a systematic analysis that allows exploring both common properties and unique behavior in wave phenomena for different material realizations.