Illusions and cloaks for surface waves

An acoustic cloaking design based on topology optimization

In this work, we explain how to utilize the topology optimization method for the design of acoustic cloaks based on the principle of scattering cancellation. To take account of the challenging fabrication restriction, we impose boundary control inside the optimization objective function and enforce hyperbolic tangent projection to minimize the gray transition regions of the optimized design. In addition, a filter based on the Helmholtz differential equation is used to remove any tiny structures due to the effect of discretized grids. Then, we fabricate the designed cloaks and conduct the experiments in a couple of representative set-ups to validate the proposed design approach. The experiments are conducted inside both air and water. We found that the current cloaking design performs much better in air than in water and reveal the associated reason. Overall, this work paves the way for the acoustic cloaking design, fabrication, and experiments for future practical applications.

Active structural acoustic illusions

We present active manipulation of the structural vibrations of an elastic body to generate an acoustic illusion. The resultant illusion misrepresents the nature, size and number of objects in the exterior acoustic domain. We demonstrate our technique, herein termed active structural acoustic illusion, using an elastic cylindrical shell. The radial motion of the shell at its cavity resonance frequencies is actively modified using localised mechanical forces. Acoustic illusions are generated to resemble the scattered acoustic field by one or more rigid cylinders of different size and location.

Active acoustic illusions for stealth and subterfuge

Acoustic illusion devices present a novel approach for defeating detection systems such as sonar by misrepresenting information about the target. These devices are currently designed for a predetermined illusion using metamaterials. We present the first active acoustic illusion utilizing monopole control sources and error sensors arranged circumferentially around a rigid object to generate the desired illusion in the global acoustic field. We also utilize control sources and error sensors in a line array to generate an illusion in the forward-scatter region of the object. Multiple types of illusions are achieved for a given control configuration.

Optimal illusion and invisibility of multilayered anisotropic cylinders and spheres

In this paper, full-wave electromagnetic scattering theory is employed to investigate illusion and invisibility of inhomogeneous anisotropic cylinders and spheres. With the use of a shell designed according to Mie series theory for multiple piecewise anisotropic layers, radar cross section (RCS) of the coated inhomogeneous anisotropic object can be dramatically reduced or disguised as another object in the long-wavelength limit. With the suitable adjustment of the anisotropy parameters of the shell, optimal illusion and invisibility characteristics of the coated inhomogeneous anisotropic object can be achieved. Details of theoretical analysis and numerical examples are presented to validate the proposed methodology.