Macroscopic Artificial Structures for Elastic Wave Manipulation: Recent Advances

Recent advancements in the manipulation of elastic waves using macroscopic artificial structures have opened up new avenues for controlling wave propagation beyond traditional methods. These structures, often referred to as 'metamaterials' or 'phononic crystals,' exhibit unique wave-matter interactions due to their carefully designed geometry and material properties.

This review explores the latest breakthroughs in this field, highlighting innovative approaches to manipulating elastic waves in various ways, including:

• Wave guiding and focusing: Directing and concentrating elastic waves to specific locations for applications such as energy harvesting and non-destructive testing.
• Wave filtering and band gap engineering: Controlling the transmission and reflection of elastic waves by manipulating their frequency spectrum.
• Wave cloaking and invisibility: Creating structures that effectively 'hide' objects from elastic waves.
• Wave manipulation for sensing and actuation: Developing new sensor and actuator technologies based on the interaction of elastic waves with artificial structures.

The article further discusses the potential applications of these advances in fields such as structural health monitoring, medical imaging, and communication technologies. It emphasizes the ongoing research and development efforts in this rapidly evolving area, with a focus on the challenges and opportunities for future breakthroughs in non-traditional elastic wave manipulation.