Scattering of Rayleigh waves from topographic irregularities at oblique incidence

Abstract

Several theoretical treatments now exist in the literature for scattering of Rayleigh waves from topograhic features which are parallel to the incident wave front. These treatments, however, are not applicable to a large class of signal-processing devices in which the surface waves are scattered by inclined reflectors. A perturbational approach, similar to the earlier treatments but applicable to oblique incidence and to all perturbation orders, is presented. The first-order reflection coefficient of a Rayleigh wave from an inclined groove is computed. It is shown that an angle similar to a ’’Brewster’’ angle exists for which the surface wave reflection coefficient is zero. A prescription for applying the theory to anisotropic media is suggested. A clarification of the applicability of this and prior theories to steep-walled structures is given.