December 23, 2024

Unprecedented Sound Waves – New Metamaterial Redefines Wave Amplification

Artist impression of the bosonic Kitaev chain: numerous mechanical string resonators are connected to form a chain utilizing light.” Optical springsThe bosonic Kitaev chain is basically a chain of paired resonators. Surprisingly, the chain is in truth additional sensitive to one specific type of disruption; if the frequency of the last resonator on the chain is slightly annoyed, the enhanced signals along the chain can unexpectedly take a trip backwards again, experiencing amplification a second time.

Artist impression of the bosonic Kitaev chain: multiple mechanical string resonators are connected to form a chain utilizing light.” Optical springsThe bosonic Kitaev chain is basically a chain of combined resonators.” Topological metamaterialThe intriguing properties of Majorana no modes in the electronic Kitaev chain are connected to the reality that the material is topological. Together with theory collaborators Clara Wanjura (Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light), Matteo Brunelli (University of Basel), Javier del Pino (ETH Zurich), and Andreas Nunnenkamp (University of Vienna), the AMOLF scientists revealed that the bosonic Kitaev chain is in reality a new topological phase of matter.The observed directional amplification is a topological phenomenon associated with this phase of matter, as the theory collaborators anticipated in 2018. Surprisingly, the chain is in reality additional delicate to one particular type of disruption; if the frequency of the last resonator on the chain is somewhat alarmed, the amplified signals along the chain can all of a sudden travel backwards again, experiencing amplification a 2nd time.