Surface acoustic wave confinement inside uncorrelated distributions of subwavelength scatterers

Abstract

We report an experimental study of surface acoustic wave (SAW) localization and propagation in random metasurfaces composed of Al scatters using pump–probe spectroscopy. Thanks to this technique, wideband high frequency acoustic modes are generated, and their dynamical propagation directly from inside of the media with a high (micrometric) spatial resolution is enabled. During SAW propagation, part of the acoustic wavefront energy is trapped within free areas between the scatterers, acting as cavities. The spectral content of the localized modes of a few GHz is found to depend on the shape and size of the cavities but also on the landscape seen by the wave during its propagation before arriving inside them. The experimental results are supported by numerical simulations using the finite element method. This study is the phononic part of a more global research on the co-localization of elastic and optical waves on random metasurfaces, with the main objective of enhancing the photon–phonon interaction. Applications could range from the design of acousto-optic modulators to ultrasensitive sensors.