On-demand optimal design of Rayleigh wave metasurfaces
Abstract
Metasurfaces composed of mechanical resonators distributed on the free surface of a semi-infinite elastic medium provide a promising platform for manipulating surface wave propagation. However, the design of metasurfaces with targeted surface wave functionalities remains challenging because of the intricate frequency-dependent coupling between the resonators and the substrate, as well as the resulting high-dimensional design space with strong interactions. In this work, an optimization method is proposed for determining resonator positions to achieve desired functionalities, such as Rayleigh wave focusing and isolation. A multiple scattering formulation is first developed to characterize the dynamic interactions between Rayleigh waves and mechanical resonators. On this basis, a gradient-descent optimization framework is established, in which the gradient of the objective function is derived analytically. Using the proposed method, Rayleigh wave focusing at prescribed target locations and wave isolation within the target regions are achieved. Furthermore, the framework is extended to multi-objective optimization, enabling symmetric and antisymmetric focusing under left and right source excitations. Frequency-dependent wave focusing and isolation are also achieved by combining resonators with different resonance frequencies. The proposed analytical and optimization framework paves the way for the design of advanced devices for surface wave localization, transmission, and isolation, with potential applications in vibration mitigation, sensing, and energy harvesting.
Details
- Organisation(s)
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Computational Science and Simulation Technology
- External Organisation(s)
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Bauhaus-Universität Weimar
Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Fudan University
Tongji University
- Type
- Article
- Journal
- International Journal of Mechanical Sciences
- Volume
- 325
- ISSN
- 0020-7403
- Publication date
- 10.06.2026
- Publication status
- E-pub ahead of print
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Civil and Structural Engineering, General Materials Science, Aerospace Engineering, Condensed Matter Physics, Ocean Engineering, Mechanics of Materials, Mechanical Engineering, Applied Mathematics
- Electronic version(s)
-
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmecsci.2026.111821 (Access:
Closed
)
