We show that periodic multilayer structures with parity-time (PT) symmetries imposed by a balanced arrangement of gain and loss can exhibit anisotropic reflection oscillation patterns as the number of unit-cells is increasing. At the minima of reflection oscillation patterns, the PT symmetric medium exhibits bidirectional transparency with the eigenvalues of the scattering matrix degenerated, where the PT symmetric set-up can still render directional responses due to the one-way field localization inside the system. With certain number of unit-cells, the PT symmetric crystal is unidirectionally invisible. More complicated reflection/transmission oscillations can be observed by segregating neighboring unit-cells with a uniform dielectric layer. Our results may pave the way towards a new class of functional optical devices with intriguing and unexpected directional responses.

Acoustic holographic techniques are crucial in diverse applications, such as three-dimensional holographic display and particle manipulation. However, conventional methods for computer-generated acoustics holography rely heavily on iterative optimization algorithms, which are time-consuming and particularly hinder their capacity of generating a dynamic hologram in real time. Here, a deep learning approach based on U-Net is proposed to rapidly generate an acoustic hologram with optimal amplitude and phase maps. It is demonstrated that, after being trained with adequate data that are numerically synthesized by the pseudo-inverse method, the proposed deep learning approach can generate both amplitude and phase maps for new target images with an improved overall reconstruction quality. Remarkably, after the offline cost is compensated by a lower online cost for the proposed DL approach, the hologram generation speed is significantly accelerated by the proposed deep learning approach as compared with the pseudo-inverse method, especially for complicated or dynamic images. With the hierarchical feature learning capability and the fast online computational speed, the proposed deep learning approach can serve as a smart platform for rapidly generating complete maps of holograms for the sophisticated or dynamical target images, leading to the new possibility of real-time acoustic-hologram-based applications.

One-way sound-wave propagation has been a research hotspot in acoustics during the past decade, with the production of acoustic diode, acoustic topological insulator, and parity-time-symmetric acoustic metamaterial. Here, we investigate topological pumping for sound waves in a coupled cavity chain along selective paths driven by dynamic modulation. We first showcase the adiabatic passage of sound energy in a heterostructured Su-Schrieffer-Heeger cavity chain. By solving the Dirac-like governing equation, we calculate the eigenspectrum of this model and prove the existence of a topologically protected interface state and end states. From the eigenspectrum, if no level crossing exists, energy transfer of the sound wave (or acoustic topological pumping) is reversed under adiabatic modulation, leading to the release and return of sound energy for a specific topological state. However, when the level crossing occurs, we find that topological pumping between the interface state and end states can be selectively excited, rendering complete transfer of the sound energy between two topological states. Moreover, topological pumping of sound waves can exist along the asymmetric paths under driven modulation. Our work has promising applications for robust, selective, and efficient sound energy transfer in acoustic network systems.

The acoustic analogy of topological insulators is a hot field of materials research. On one-dimensional acoustic systems, many researchers have lately paid their attention to the applications of the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) model, which can support topologically nontrivial phases. In this paper, we design a supercell composed of two identical hollow cylinders with a side split immersed in the air background. The supercell is arranged in a line to form a SSH model, which has three bandgaps including two zone-folding-induced gaps and a local resonant gap in the subwavelength region. By analyzing the eigenstates and calculating the Zak phases, we find that a topological phase transition takes place only in the zone-folding-induced gaps when we rotate the split-cylinders. Thus, a finite-size array, made of two sublattices with distinct topological properties, inevitably produces topological interface states on their interface. In addition, we demonstrate that the topological interface states can be adjusted in a wide frequency range by rotating the cylinders that control the coupling strength between two split-cylinders in one supercell. These tunable topological interface states may have potential application prospects in wave filtering, wave detecting, and so on.

Exceptional point (EP) is referred to degeneracies in a non-Hermitian system where two or more eigenvalues and their corresponding eigenvectors coalesce. Recently there have been significantly increased interests in harnessing EPs to enhance responsivities and achieve ultrasensitive detections in optics, electronics and acoustics, although there are few similar studies focused on using surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensing technologies, probably due to its great technical challenges. Herein, we proposed a scheme for accessing EPs in an on-chip architecture consisted of coupled-SAW-resonators system, forming a passive parity-time (PT) symmetric system. We demonstrated that by tuning additional losses in one of resonators and regulating the system in the proximity of the EP, the sensor exhibited significantly enhanced responses. As an example, we present an EP-based SAW gas sensor, which showed a much-improved sensitivity compared to that of a conventional delay-line SAW sensor. The fundamental mechanisms behind this excellent sensing performance have been elucidated.

We have theoretically and experimentally demonstrated subwavelength acoustic energy harvesting via topological interface states in 1D Helmholtz resonator arrays. The system can produce two types of bandgaps in the subwavelength realm due to the resonance and band folding mechanism, respectively. Through the analyses of the Zak phase and eigenfield distributions, the topological properties of band-folding-induced gaps can be changed by tuning the lattice structural parameters, while those of resonant gaps maintain stability. When two different arrays are spliced together, topological interface states will appear in the band-folding-induced band gaps but do not exist in the resonant gaps. The experimental measurements agree well with the theoretical prediction. Our study expands the applicability of acoustic topological insulators in a compacted platform.