Metamaterial System Research Articles

Designed honeycomb lattice for improving vibration control

Honeycombs represent common cellular structures characterised by two-dimensional arrays of unit cells arranged in-plane and stacked parallelly in the out-of-plane direction, exhibiting a periodic structure. Due to the interconnected network of these unit cells, honeycombs possess higher porosity and lower mass density than their matrix materials, resulting in superior specific stiffness/strength and specific energy absorption. The arrangement of repeating unit cells profoundly impacts the mechanical properties of these lightweight materials. This study explores a 2D metamaterial cellular system inspired by the lightweight characteristics of honeycombs. In this system, squared honeycomb cells with additional lumped masses can influence vibrating modes. Unlike conventional methods employing discrete mass-spring resonators, this approach intentionally adds masses to create complete or incomplete stop bands wherein wave propagation is either wholly or partially suppressed along specific directions. The dispersion curves of wave bands and the sensitivity of bandgaps concerning design parameters are estimated using the finite element method and Block's theorem. Numerical simulations demonstrate the stop band behaviour, providing insights for optimisation strategies and a deeper comprehension of these remarkable cellular material systems and improvements in the design with enhanced vibro-acoustics performance and control.

Enhancing railway noise reduction through advanced multilayer acoustic absorbent systems with tunable resonators

Railway noise poses a significant environmental challenge, prompting the need for effective mitigation strategies. In response, noise barriers are often employed to reduce noise near railways. This research focuses on the use of porous materials, more specifically porous concrete, for acoustic absorption, particularly in the context of railway noise reduction. A novel approach is proposed, wherein porous multilayer metamaterial systems are developed, with each layer's macroscopic parameters strategically optimized to enhance the overall sound absorption curve. Additionally, to broaden the frequency range of noise attenuation, tunable resonators are seamlessly integrated into the multilayer system. The analytical framework for analyzing both the multilayer system and resonators involves employing equivalent fluid models and the analytical transfer matrix method. Linear regressions were employed to establish relationships between porosity, density, and other macroscopic parameters, enabling the derivation of the sound absorption curve solely from these parameters. Through systematic optimization and integration of resonators, it is expected that, the proposed approach demonstrates significant advancements in railway noise reduction efficacy across a wide frequency range. This research aims to contribute to the development of more efficient and versatile acoustic absorbent systems for mitigating railway noise pollution.

Realization of topological Bragg and locally resonant interface states in one-dimensional metamaterial beam-resonator-foundation system

Abstract In this study, the one-dimensional (1D) metamaterial beam-foundation system is innovatively improved into a metamaterial beam-resonator-foundation system by inserting resonators into the elastic foundation for ultra-low frequency vibration attenuation and enhanced topological energy trapping. Abundant band gap characteristics are obtained including quasi-static band gap starting from 0 Hz, Bragg scattering band gaps (BSBGs), and local resonance band gaps (LRBGs). Five band folding points are obtained through the band folding mechanism which can be opened by tuning inner and outer resonance parameters. However, only three band folding induced band gaps support mode inversion and Zak phase transition, including one BSBG and two LRBGs. The topological inversion in LRBGs is rarely reported in the 1D mechanical system, which can induce topological locally resonant interface states. The underlying physical mechanism of the topological phase transition in LRBG is revealed, which results from the topological inversion band gap transition from an initial BSBG to a LRBG with resonance parameters changes. Different from conventional 1D topological metamaterials that merely utilize local resonance to lower the band frequency and achieve subwavelength topological states in BSBGs, the topological interface states in LRBGs can localize wave energy to fewer unit cells near the interface, exhibiting enhanced energy localization capacity. The topologically protected interface states are validated with defective cases, demonstrating the potential of topological metamaterials for robust energy harvesting. This study provides new insights into the topological theory of 1D mechanical systems and contributes to the development and implementation of multi-functional devices integrating vibration attenuation and energy trapping.

Attenuation properties of a meta-pipe: Analytical, experimental, and numerical prediction

Flexural vibration characteristics of a meta-pipe are investigated in this paper. Initially, the metamaterial piping system consisting of a homogeneous pipe and periodic flexible supports is designed. Subsequently, the dispersion relationship which is a function of the wavenumber and the frequency is derived employing the transfer matrix method and Bloch’s theorem. The designed system reveals a zero-frequency stopband and a wide passband in the examined frequency range, which are verified by both experimental and numerical results. To enhance the performance of this system, it is essential to effectively control the obtained passband. For this, a single-degree-of-freedom localized resonator is designed, which is subsequently installed at the center of each unit-cell of the pipe. The dispersion properties of this system are first evaluated analytically and then validated using experimental and numerical methods. Finally, the effect of pipe system parameters and resonator properties on the stopband characteristics is studied in depth. It was observed that the stopband properties can be effectively tuned by appropriately designing the piping system and resonators. The results presented in this study offer valuable insights into the propagation characteristics of flexural waves and the strategies devised for controlling vibrations in pipes.

Janus Swarm Metamaterials for Information Display, Memory, and Encryption.

Metamaterials are emerging as an unconventional platform to perform computing abstractions in physical systems by processing environmental stimuli into information. While computation functions have been demonstrated in mechanical systems, they rely on compliant mechanisms to achieve predefined states, which impose inherent design restrictions that limit their miniaturization, deployment, reconfigurability, and functionality. Here, a metamaterial system is described based on responsive magnetoactive Janus particle (MAJP) swarms with multiple programmable functions. MAJPs are designed with tunable structure and properties in mind, that is, encoded swarming behavior and fully reversible switching mechanisms, to enable programmable dynamic display, non-volatile and semi-volatile memory, Boolean logic, and information encryption functions in soft, wearable devices. MAJPs and their unique swarming behavior open new functions for the design of multifunctional and reconfigurable display devices, and constitute a promising building block to develop the next generation of soft physical computing devices, with growing applications in security, defense, anti-counterfeiting, camouflage, soft robotics, and human-robot interaction.

The coupled band gap of longitudinal wave in metamaterial-based double-rod containing resonators

This study investigates the coupled band gap and vibration propagation characteristics of elastic waves in a metamaterial elastic double-rod system with attached periodic resonators. We derive the band gap structure and vibration attenuation equations of double-rod structure using the spectral element method, Bloch’s theorem, and the transfer matrix method. The validity of the coupled band gap is confirmed through forced vibration response analysis. Furthermore, we examine the effects of various parameters on the double-rod system, revealing that coupled band gaps exist with the average vibration attenuation rates of −50.23 dB for rod one and −47.87 dB for rod two, respectively. Remarkably, by adjusting the double-rod parameters, both the band gap frequency range and vibration attenuation ability of the coupled band gap can be adjusted to meet specific engineering requirements in low-frequency regions. This research contributes to developing continuous mechanical structures featuring coupled band gaps.

Clockwise vs anti-clockwise chiral metamaterials: Influence of base tessellation symmetry and rotational direction of chiralisation on mechanical properties

Chiral honeycombs are a class of auxetic metamaterials which are characterised by a lack of plane symmetry. Besides the traditional chiral honeycombs based on regular monohedral tessellations such as the hexachiral and tetrachiral honeycombs, a vast range of auxetic chiral metamaterials may be produced through the ‘chiralisation’ of Euclidean tessellations made from polyhedral tilings and/or irregular monohedral polygons. In this work, we show for the first time, how the direction of the geometric chiral transformation, i.e. clockwise vs anti-clockwise chiralisation, has an influence on the mechanical properties and deformation modes of the resultant chiral metamaterial systems. This influence, which is a result of the intrinsic absence of axial symmetry in the original base tessellation, can lead to the production of two unique and distinct chiral metamaterial configurations with completely different mechanical properties originating from a single base tessellation. In this work we demonstrate and quantify, through a wide range of numerical simulations and experimental tests on additively-manufactured prototypes, the effect of the direction of chiralisation on two tessellations: a Florent pentagonal system with hexagonal rotational symmetry and a hexagonal monohedral tessellation with trigonal rotational symmetry. The results obtained show that the clockwise and anti-clockwise chiral structures exhibit significantly different mechanical properties and deformation modes, highlighting the increased versatility of this relatively novel class of chiral metamaterials.

Grating Bio-Microelectromechanical Platform Architecture for Multiple Biomarker Detection.

A label-free biosensor based on a tunable MEMS metamaterial structure is proposed in this paper. The adopted structure is a one-dimensional array of metamaterial gratings with movable and fixed fingers. The moving unit of the optical detection system is a component of the MEMS structure, driven by the surface stress effect. Thus, these suspended optical nanoribbons can be moved and change the grating pattern by the biological bonds that happened on the modified cantilever surface. Such structural variations lead to significant changes in the optical response of the metamaterial system under illuminating angled light and subsequently shift its resonance wavelength spectrum. As a result, the proposed biosensor shows appropriate analytical characteristics, including the mechanical sensitivity of Sm = 11.55 μm/Nm-1, the optical sensitivity of So = Δλ/Δd = 0.7 translated to So = Δλ/Δσ = 8.08 μm/Nm-1, and the quality factor of Q = 102.7. Also, considering the importance of multi-biomarker detection, a specific design of the proposed topology has been introduced as an array for identifying different biomolecules. Based on the conducted modeling and analyses, the presented device poses the capability of detecting multiple biomarkers of disease at very low concentrations with proper precision in fluidic environments, offering a suitable bio-platform for lab-on-chip structures.

Extremely asymmetric absorption and reflection near the exceptional point for three-dimensional metamaterial

In recent years, particular physical phenomena enabled by non-Hermitian metamaterial systems have attracted significant research interests. In this paper, a non-Hermitian three-dimensional metamaterial near the exceptional point (EP) is proposed to demonstrate extremely asymmetric absorption and reflection. Unlike its conventional counterparts, this proposed metamaterial is constructed with a loss-assisted design. Localized losses are introduced into the structure by combining our technique of graphene-based resistive inks with conventional printed circuit board process. Extremely asymmetric absorption and reflection near the EP are experimentally observed by tuning the loss between split ring resonators in the meta-atoms. Simultaneously, by linking the equivalent circuit model (ECM) with the quantum model, an equivalent non-Hermitian transmission matrix is constructed. We show that tuning the structure parameters of the ECM produces a metamaterial system with EP response. Our system can be used in the design of unidirectional metamaterial absorbers. Our work contributes to future works on the manipulation of EP to develop precision sensing and other applications in the 3D metamaterial platform.

A study into the feasibility of replicating and improving the mechanical properties of the Wavecel helmet liner using additively manufactured auxetic structures

In the event of a cycling accident, there is evidence supporting the bicycle helmet’s role in reducing the risk of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Despite this, there is ambiguity surrounding the effectiveness and integrity of specific helmet liner technologies which claim to reduce concussion risk, such as Wavecel. This research project seeks to explore the feasibility of replicating the mechanical properties of the Wavecel metamaterial using an additively manufactured (AM) honeycomb structure. Wavecel, introduced in 2019 by Trek Bicycle Co. as part of the Bontrager sub-brand, is a helmet liner technology. Consisting of a collapsible cellular metamaterial, it functions through a network of interconnected shock absorbers that link the user’s head to the helmet shell. Upon its announcement, Wavecel claimed that its cellular lattice structure helmet liner is up to 48× more effective at preventing concussion than a standard helmet, reducing the likelihood of concussion to 1.2% during a laboratory simulated head impact (Bliven et al., 2019, Acc Analysis Prev, 124, 58-65). As one of the most commercially successful metamaterial helmet liners available on the consumer market, Wavecel is a clear demonstration that a metamaterial protection system can be mass-produced, well received by consumers and profitable for a business. To conduct this research, the properties of the Wavecel liner will be defined through impact testing. Computer-aided design (CAD) will then be used to produce several prototypes of a honeycomb structure. These prototypes will then undergo identical impact tests, aiming to replicate the mechanical properties of the Wavecel helmet liner. Comparisons will include elastic stiffness, column buckling, and response to off-axis impact. The collected data will serve as evidence for evaluating the performance and mechanical attributes of these structures, contributing to the advancement of next-generation helmet liners and sports personal protective equipment (PPE). The findings will also benefit businesses looking to develop helmets incorporating metamaterials in their liner technology.

A Review: Active Tunable Terahertz Metamaterials

The diversity and practicability of terahertz metamaterials have experienced rapid development in the past decade due to the increasing demand for various devices. This topic has attracted significant interest from researchers. Among the key functional devices in terahertz metamaterial systems, the active control ability of terahertz metamaterials is highly valuable and captivating. This implies that the electromagnetic properties of metamaterials can be modulated over a wide dynamic range by external stimuli. This review categorizes the different types of tunable terahertz metamaterials based on the external stimuli to which they respond, namely, mechanical modulation, electrical modulation, magnetic modulation, and optical modulation. Mechanically modulated devices offer simple yet efficient modulation, while electrical and magnetic modulation provide effective active modulation through electrical mechanisms. Optical modulation, in contrast, focuses on incorporating various materials to achieve active modulation.

Low-frequency vibration and noise control in sandwiched composite locally resonant metamaterials-embedded plate structures

This study proposes a sandwiched composite locally resonant metamaterial (SLRM) system and SLRM-embedded plate structure (SLRMeP) to effectively control low-frequency vibrations and sound radiation. The wave control mechanism and configuration of the proposed system are more suitable and realistic to address practical low-frequency vibro-acoustic problems. A numerical model was proposed based on the material properties, unit dimensions, and mass ratios to determine the local resonance characteristics and bandgap formation. The experimental results on a full-scale SLRMeP measuring 3000 × 4200 × 210 mm confirmed the efficacy of the local resonance bandgap for controlling vibrations and sound radiation, achieving a 94.08% reduction in the acceleration response and a 15.13 dB reduction in the sound pressure level. Additionally, variations in mass ratio, achieved by altering the mass density or dimensions, yield distinct bandgap behaviors, offering strategies to enhance vibro-acoustic performance.

Propagation of solitary waves in origami-inspired metamaterials

We propose a design strategy for creating origami-like mechanical metamaterials with diverse non-linear mechanical properties and capable of remote actuation. The proposed triangulated cylindrical origami (TCO)-inspired metamaterials enable the highly desirable strain-softening/hardening and snap-through behaviors via a multi-material and highly deformable hinge design. Moreover, we couple these novel non-linear mechanical properties of the TCO origami-inspired metamaterials with the transformative ability of hard-magnetic active materials, allowing for untethered shape- and property-actuation in the developed metamaterials. We develop a mathematical modeling framework for the proposed TCO origami-inspired metamaterials, building on approximating the highly deformable hinges as a combination of longitudinal and rotational springs. We validate the accuracy of the developed mathematical modeling approach by comparing the analytically predicted compressive response of a unit cell structure with the corresponding numerical and experimental results. Using the developed mathematical modeling framework, we investigate the magnetic field-induced large deformation and superimposed solitary wave propagation in the TCO origami-inspired metamaterial system. We show that the proposed metamaterial allows us to tune the key characteristics of the enabled non-linear solitary waves, including their characteristic width and amplitude. The proposed design strategy for readily manufacturable origami-inspired metamaterial systems paves a novel path for practical engineering applications. Our studies also underscore the potential of magneto-mechanical interaction in the design of reconfigurable metamaterial systems with superior non-linear mechanical and elastic wave properties.

Stability analysis and energy harvesting in lumped parameter systems with internally coupled resonators

This article explores internally coupled resonators in metamaterial systems, focusing on mechanical and electromechanical coupling. The article provides a thorough examination of stability within the context of internally coupled resonators. It establishes stability criteria, emphasizing the importance of strictly stable systems in practical applications. Furthermore, it analyzes stability through simulations, revealing how various parameters impact system behavior and highlighting the challenges and benefits of achieving stability in metamaterial systems. Additionally, the article explores the impact of damping coefficients and resonator characteristics, on displacement and power generation profiles. Nonlinear behavior in internally coupled resonators is examined, revealing the presence of bifurcation in simulation and offering insights into multi-stability and system behavior.

Observation of vortex-string chiral modes in metamaterials

As hypothetical topological defects in the geometry of spacetime, vortex strings could have played many roles in cosmology, and their distinct features can provide observable clues about the early universe’s evolution. A key feature of vortex strings is that they can interact with Weyl fermionic modes and support massless chiral-anomaly states along strings. To date, despite many attempts to detect vortex strings in astrophysics or to emulate them in artificially created systems, observation of these vortex-string chiral modes remains experimentally elusive. Here we report experimental observations of vortex-string chiral modes using a metamaterial system. This is implemented by inhomogeneous perturbation of Yang-monopole phononic metamaterials. The measured linear dispersion and modal profiles confirm the existence of topological modes bound to and propagating along the string with the chiral anomaly. Our work provides a platform for studying diverse cosmic topological defects in astrophysics and offers applications as topological fibres in communication techniques.

Concept Design of a Smart Haptic Suit for a Biological Signal Recognition and Feedback to Human Body Movements

The ultimate purpose of monitoring bio-signals in the form of individually tailored clothing is to monitor an unconstrained bio-signals during the wearer's physiological activities and provide freedom of movement, thereby eliminating inconvenience in workspace of HMI (Human-Machine Interaction) or HRI (Human-Robot Interaction), and healthcare life. In the form of smart clothing for human collaboration industries or everyday life, there is a need to provide new sensitive and high accurate functions to the wearer while also faithfully performing the functions of existing clothing. In this respect, auxetic pattern-based sensors and actuators can be said to be one of the most promising candidates to be combined with smart wearable technology. There is an emerging need to research the concepts of these new sensors and actuators and present a paradigm for clothing research on innovative smart haptic suits. Accordingly, there is a need for a concept of smart haptic system suitable to meet the conditions of sensors and actuators with improved sensitivity, conductivity, and receptivity that can have characteristics such as microporosity, flexibility, and large surface area of nano and micro web structures. When measuring a bio-signal sensing and motion feedback using an electro-active structural pattern, the signal waveform can be confirmed to have a similar signal waveform to the measured signal through direct visual evaluation, and muscle signals for each body part can be measured using a commercialized sensor. The same signal can be confirmed. Through Pearson's correlation analysis using statistical analysis techniques, signal data between nano and micro web structure-based respiration sensors and existing respiration sensors showed significant correlation with each other, indicating respiration obtained from nano and micro web-based sensors. A theoretical model which predicts the actuation stroke of the system based on the material properties of the auxetic SMM (Shape Memory Material) and bias components as well as the geometry of the metamaterial system was developed.

Three-Dimensional Optical Imaging of Internal Deformations in Polymeric Microscale Mechanical Metamaterials.

Recent advances in two-photon polymerization fabrication processes are paving the way to creating macroscopic metamaterials with microscale architectures, which exhibit mechanical properties superior to their bulk material counterparts. These metamaterials typically feature lightweight, complex patterns such as lattice or minimal surface structures. Conventional tools for investigating these microscale structures, such as scanning electron microscopy, cannot easily probe the internal features of these structures, which are critical for a comprehensive assessment of their mechanical behavior. In turn, we demonstrate an optical confocal microscopy-based approach that allows for high-resolution optical imaging of internal deformations and fracture processes in microscale metamaterials under mechanical load. We validate this technique by investigating an exemplary metamaterial lattice structure of 80 × 80 × 80 μm3 in size. This technique can be extended to other metamaterial systems and holds significant promise to enhance our understanding of their real-world performance under loading conditions.

Ultrabroadband nonlinear enhancement of mid-infrared frequency upconversion in hyperbolic metamaterials.

Metamaterials have demonstrated significant potential for enhancing nonlinear processes at the nanoscale. The presence of narrowband hot-spots and highly inhomogeneous mode-field distributions often limit the enhancement of nonlinear interactions over larger spatial scales. This has posed a formidable challenge in achieving simultaneous enhancement across a broadband spectral range, significantly constraining the potential of photonic nanostructures in enhancing nonlinear frequency conversion. Here, we propose a broadband resonant mode matching method through near-field examinations that supports the multipole modes and enables the development of an ultrabroadband-enhanced 3-5 μm mid-infrared frequency upconversion technique utilizing a hyperbolic triangular pyramidal metasurface. The gap-plasma mode of the hyperbolic metamaterial multilayer system excites narrowly high-order resonances at near-infrared pump light wavelengths, while the slow-light effect generated by the dipoles achieves ultrabroadband near-field enhancement at mid-infrared wavelengths. The symmetry breaking of the triangular structure localizes these resonant modes at the tips, enabling mode-matched modulation at different wavelengths, and thus boosting the nonlinear frequency conversion process. Our approach provides a promising platform for metasurface-based frequency conversion techniques.

A Biosensing Platform Based on Metamaterials BioNEMS for Lab-on-Chip Systems.

An optical nanoelectromechanical platform relied on a SRR metamaterial system is presented in this paper as a label-free biosensor. This structure includes a flexible BioNEMS (Bio-Nano-Electro-Mechanical Systems) transducer and a proposed SRR metamaterials for detection of biological changes. Metamaterial cells consist of two parts which are coupled with an air gap distance. A functionalized BioNEMS beam supports one part of the proposed metamaterial cells. When patient samples including target analytes is exposed to the NEMS beam surface, the specific bio-interactions are happened and the energy (surface stress type) is released on the surface. This energy, which is induced only to the one side of the movable beam, causes a differential surface stress and thus displaces the nanomechanical beam. As a result, the air distance between two separated cells of the metamaterial unit is changed. This leads to varying the cell coupling effect which excites plasmon modes in a different wavelength. Therefore, biological quantities can be measured by detecting the resonance wavelength changes. Moreover, analyzing the device by various approaches results its functional characteristics as follows: detection sensitivity of 4251 nm/RIU, figure of merit (FOM) of 500.1 RIU -1 , mechanical sensitivity of [Formula: see text]/Nm -1 and resonant frequency of 17.1 kHz. Consequently, this mechanism is important for label-free biosensing due to its high potential for sensitive and quantitative detection of target analytes which leads to accurate diagnosis of diseases or identification of drugs.

Propagation mechanism of low-frequency elastic waves and vibrations in a new tetragonal hybrid metamaterial

In order to achieve low-frequency vibration and noise reduction, artificial metamaterial with great potential in this field have been widely found. Based on previous studies, a new tetragonal hybrid metamaterial structure is proposed in this paper. It is exciting that the combination of inclusions with different material properties and sizes can affect the generation of band gaps. Then, based on the selected frequency, the propagation characteristics of waves in the structure were qualitatively analyzed using group velocity and phase velocity, and the potential for vibration reduction and noise reduction of the proposed structure was verified through finite element simulation of vibration in finite period structures. The results show that the proposed structure can open multiple broadband gaps, and the frequency range of the band gap can be flexibly adjusted according to needs. This study provides a new way for the design of low-frequency phononic metamaterial systems.