Shear-horizontal waves in a rotated Y-cut quartz plate on an elastic half space

Abstract

We show the existence of certain Love-type surface waves propagating in an anisotropic elastic plate of rotated Y-cut quartz bonded to an isotropic elastic half space. A transcendental frequency equation that determines the dispersion relations of the waves is obtained, which reduces to the classical frequency equation for Love waves in isotropic elasticity when the anisotropy quartz plate is replaced by an isotropic elastic plate. The frequency equation is solved using MATLAB. Multiple branches of dispersion curves are found and plotted. Displacement profiles are also plotted, showing the penetration depth of the waves into the half space.