Experimental realization of a reconfigurable electroacoustic topological insulator
Amir Darabi, Manuel Collet, Michael J. Leamy
Abstract
Significance We present a demonstration of topologically protected states using reconfigurable electroacoustic TIs whose design is simple, effective, and straightforward to fabricate. Numerical simulations and experimental measurements illustrate topologically protected wave propagation, free of back-scattering, along edges and interfaces. We anticipate these materials will have broad implications for devices capable of mechanical logic and circuitry, which may have advantages over electronic equivalents in harsh operating conditions, or in replacing wireless systems near propagation dead zones. Due to their dynamic reconfigurability, they may also lead to small-scale multiplexing and demultiplexing devices for use in communication devices, similar to the ubiquitous surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices used to filter electromagnetic energy.