Rayleigh-Bloch, topological edge and interface waves for structured elastic plates

TL;DR

This paper develops a spectral Galerkin method to accurately analyze edge and interface waves in structured elastic plates, revealing new phenomena like rainbow trapping and wave hybridization, with implications for topological wave control.

Contribution

It introduces a Fourier-Hermite spectral Galerkin approach for precise characterization of array and interface waves in platonic crystals, advancing understanding of topological and guided elastic waves.

Findings

Development of a spectral Galerkin method for dispersion analysis

Demonstration of rainbow trapping in graded arrays

Investigation of interfacial wave dispersion and mode-shapes

Abstract

Galvanised by the emergent fields of metamaterials and topological wave physics, there is currently much interest in controlling wave propagation along structured arrays, and interfacial waves between geometrically different crystal arrangements. We model array and interface waves for structured thin elastic plates, so-called platonic crystals, that share many analogies with their electromagnetic and acoustic counterparts, photonic and phononic crystals, and much of what we present carries across to those systems. These crystals support several forms of edge or array-guided modes, that decay perpendicular to their direction of propagation. To rapidly, and accurately, characterise these modes and their decay we develop a spectral Galerkin method, using a Fourier--Hermite basis, to provide highly accurate dispersion diagrams and mode-shapes, that are confirmed with full scattering simulations. We illustrate this approach using Rayleigh Bloch modes, and generalise high frequency homogenisation, along a line array, to extract the envelope wavelength along the array. Rayleigh-Bloch modes along graded arrays of rings of point masses are investigated and novel forms of the rainbow trapping effect and wave hybridisation are demonstrated. Finally, the method is used to investigate the dispersion curves and mode-shapes of interfacial waves created by geometrical differences in adjoining media.