Tunability of solitary wave properties in one dimensional strongly nonlinear phononic crystals

TL;DR

This study demonstrates tunability of solitary wave properties in one-dimensional strongly nonlinear phononic crystals made from PTFE and stainless steel, showing significant shape and speed modifications via magnetic precompression.

Contribution

It introduces experimental data for PTFE chains and extends stainless steel chain data to smaller amplitudes, enhancing understanding of nonlinear wave control in these materials.

Findings

Wave speed increased up to two times at constant force

PTFE data presented for the first time

Stainless steel data extended to smaller amplitudes

Abstract

One dimentional strongly nonlinear phononic crystals were assembled from chains of PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) and stainless steel spheres with gauges installed inside the beads. Trains of strongly nonlinear solitary waves were excited by an impact. A significant modification of the signal shape and an increase of solitary wave speed up to two times (at the same amplitude of dynamic contact force)were achieved through a noncontact magnetically induced precompression of the chains. Data for PTFE based chains are presented for the first time and data for stainless steel based chains were extended into a smaller range of amplitudes by more than one order of magnitude than previously reported. Experimental results were found to be in reasonable agreement with the long wave approximation and with numerical calculations based on Hertz interaction law for discrete chains.