Let's start with photonic crystals, which are found in nature, but can be used by humans in many ways, for example to create photonic semiconductors, lasers, light-emitting diodes, or synthetic materials. Thanks to recent progress made by representatives of the Technical University of Chemnitz, it has become possible to create a new type of acoustic crystal, which works on slightly different principles than a photonic crystal.
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Its distinctive feature is constant volatility. Such nanostructures exhibit changes in refractive index, meaning they block light at specific frequencies in parts of the crystalline medium through which the beam passes. They also have regions with distinct periodic dielectric constants. What are insulators? They are best described as electrically insulating materials that resist the flow of electrons when an electric field is applied.
When this happens (an electric field is applied), the insulator becomes polarized and, as a result, the molecules are oriented in the same direction. Insulating materials are very diverse as they include, for example, glass, porcelain, paper and distilled water. As for how to use them, the list is also long, with experts mentioning capacitors and LCD displays, for example.
An acoustic crystal is a solid material whose properties are constantly changing
In this complex description, it is important to remember the differences between photons and phonons. The former are quantized sound waves, while the latter are quantized light waves. An acoustic crystal is a solid material whose properties are constantly changing. By periodically changing the elastic coefficients, it is possible to control the propagation of elastic waves. German scientists have created a situation in which changes in properties are fluid and not periodic. They write about the details of their concept in: European Physics Letters.
In the course of experiments, members of the research team used computer simulations, thanks to which they were able to understand the effect of small deviations in material properties from the typical discontinuity of the step function on the acoustic density of energy states. It turned out that small changes were enough to cause large changes in the phonon band structure.
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In practice, recent advances could lead to improved design of phonon lenses and significant changes in materials science, applied physics, and engineering. In addition, the authors point out the applicability of the lessons learned in the field of microtechnology and mechatronics, where they can be used to design transducers and acoustic-mechanical actuators.
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