Measurements of Broadband Negative Index in Space-Coiling Acoustic Metamaterials

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates experimentally that space-coiling acoustic metamaterials can achieve broadband negative refractive index, confirmed through multiple measurement approaches, paving the way for practical acoustic devices with negative refraction.

Contribution

It introduces a novel labyrinthine structure that exhibits broadband negative index, validated by both effective parameter extraction and prism-based measurements, advancing acoustic metamaterial technology.

Findings

Broadband negative index achieved in space-coiling structures

Consistent negative refraction confirmed by multiple measurement methods

Potential for practical acoustic devices with negative refraction

Abstract

We report the experimental demonstration of broadband negative refractive index obtained in a labyrinthine acoustic metamaterial structure. Two different approaches were employed to prove the metamaterial negative index nature: one-dimensional extractions of effective parameters from reflection and transmission measurements, and two-dimensional prism-based measurements that convincingly show the transmission angle corresponding to negative refraction. The transmission angles observed in the latter case also agree very well with the refractive index obtained in the one-dimensional measurements and numerical simulations. We expect this labyrinthine metamaterial to become the unit cell of choice for practical acoustic metamaterial devices that require broadband and significantly negative indexes of refraction.