Propagation characteristics of elastic longitudinal wave in a piezoelectric semiconductor metamaterial rod and its tuning

Abstract

Elastic metamaterial structures have many distinct wave properties such as band gap structure and topological phase inversion. The coexistence and interaction of piezoelectricity and semiconductor behavior in piezoelectric semiconductor (PS) materials endow metamaterials with some new physical effects. We investigate the propagation characteristics of elastic longitudinal waves in a metamaterial rod made of n-type PS material and piezoelectric (PE) dielectric material. Based on one-dimensional rod model, we present the transfer matrixes for the PS and PE phases as well as the interfacial transfer matrix of unit cell. The analytical dispersion relations of the considered PS-PE metamaterial rod are obtained by utilizing Bloch's theorem. Numerical results show that band gap structures of the metamaterial rod are dependent on the initial electron concentration, length ratio of PE phase, interfacial condition, and capacitor connected with the PE phase. The selection of certain initial electron concentration, length ratio of PE phase, and capacitor can lead to the appearance of topological phase inversion, highlighting the potential for controlling and manipulating the wave propagation properties of PS metamaterial structures. This paper provides a theoretical guidance on the development of smart devices based on PS metamaterial structures. The novel combination of piezoelectricity and semiconductor behavior in these materials opens up new avenues for designing and engineering advanced devices with tailored wave properties and functionalities.