Topological state transfer in Kresling origami

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates in-situ topological boundary mode transfer in reconfigurable Kresling origami lattices, enabling controlled energy transfer without complex active actuation, by leveraging the lattice's intrinsic reconfigurability.

Contribution

The study introduces a novel method for topological state transfer in origami lattices through quasi-static twisting, combining reconfigurability with topological wave manipulation.

Findings

Topological boundary modes can be transferred via lattice twisting.

Strain landscape changes significantly affect wave dispersion and topology.

Energy transfer between edges is achieved efficiently through simple reconfiguration.

Abstract

Topological mechanical metamaterials have been widely explored for their boundary states, which can be robustly isolated or transported in a controlled manner. However, such systems often require pre-configured design or complex active actuation for wave manipulation. Here, we present the possibility of in-situ transfer of topological boundary modes by leveraging the reconfigurability intrinsic in twisted origami lattices. In particular, we employ a dimer Kresling origami system consisting of unit cells with opposite chirality, which couples longitudinal and rotational degrees of freedom in elastic waves. The quasi-static twist imposed on the lattice alters the strain landscape of the lattice, thus significantly affecting the wave dispersion relations and the topology of the underling bands. This in turn facilitates an efficient topological state transfer from one edge to the other. This simple and practical approach of energy transfer in origami-inspired lattices can thus inspire a new class of efficient energy manipulation devices.