Tunable Wave Propagation Bandgap Via Stretching kirigami Sheets

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates how stretching a kirigami sheet with zig-zag cuts can create and tune elastic wave bandgaps by inducing a 3D periodic structure, combining theory, simulation, and experiments.

Contribution

It introduces a novel method to mechanically tune wave propagation bandgaps in kirigami structures through stretching-induced buckling.

Findings

Stretching beyond a critical point causes out-of-plane buckling.

The bandgap correlates with the amount of stretch applied.

Experimental results confirm theoretical and simulation predictions.

Abstract

This study examines the Braggs bandgap and its mechanical tuning in a stretch-buckled kirigami sheet with "zig-zag" distributed parallel cuts. When stretched beyond a critical threshold, the kirigami buckles out-of-plane and generates a 3D periodic architecture. Our theoretical calculation, numerical simulation, and experiments confirm the transverse elastic wave propagation bandgaps and their correlation to stretching. This result opens an avenue of using kirigami as a simple and effective approach for creating and adapting periodicity for wave propagation control.