Tapered rainbow metabeam for wideband multimode acoustic blocking based on quadruple-mode resonators

Abstract

We construct a rainbow metamaterial for multimode sound blocking over a broad range of sub-kHz frequencies in the form of a tapered rectangular cross section beam of machined cells based on elements that can, on average, simultaneously attenuate the majority of the possible elastic-wave polarizations. Using aluminum, we construct a five-cell structure containing sub-wavelength planar resonators with interconnected ribs, which couple to compressional, in-plane shear, flexural, and torsional vibrations. Backed up by numerical simulations, we verify that this tapered structure can, on average, strongly attenuate acoustic modes over the frequency range of the combined metamaterial bandgaps, that is over a frequency range representing ∼50% around ∼0.7 kHz. Applications include vibration isolation.