Optimal multipole center for subwavelength acoustic scatterers

TL;DR

This paper introduces a method to find the optimal multipole center for subwavelength acoustic scatterers, improving accuracy and efficiency in wave scattering analysis by reducing higher-order multipole contributions.

Contribution

It proposes an analytical technique to determine the optimal multipole center, challenging the traditional center of mass approach, and demonstrates its benefits through numerical validation.

Findings

Optimal centers reduce quadrupole contributions

Enhanced accuracy of monopole-dipole approximations

Improved computational efficiency of the T-matrix method

Abstract

The multipole expansion is a powerful framework for analyzing how subwavelength-size objects scatter waves in optics or acoustics. The calculation of multipole moments traditionally uses the scatterer's center of mass as the reference point. The theoretical foundation of this heuristic convention remains an open question. Here, we challenge this convention by demonstrating that a different, optimal multipole center can yield superior results. The optimal center is crucial -- it allows us to accurately express the scattering response while retaining a minimum number of multipole moments. Our analytical technique for finding the optimal multipole centers of individual scatterers, both in isolation and within finite arrays, is validated through numerical simulations. Our findings reveal that such an optimized positioning significantly reduces quadrupole contributions, enabling more accurate monopole-dipole approximations in acoustic calculations. Our approach also improves the computational efficiency of the T-matrix method, offering practical benefits for metamaterial design and analysis.