A Lamb wave source based on the resonant cavity of phononic-crystal plates.

In this paper, we propose a Lamb wave source that is based on the resonant cavity of a phononic-crystal plate. The phononic-crystal plate is composed of tungsten cylinders that form square lattices in a silicon plate, and the resonant cavity is created by arranging defects inside the periodic structure. The dispersion, transmission, and displacement of Lamb waves are analyzed by the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. The eigenmodes inside the cavities of the phononic-crystal plate are identified as resonant modes. The fundamental and higher order resonant modes, which vary with the length of cavities, are calculated. By exciting the specific resonant mode in an asymmetric cavity, the 232.40 MHz flexural Lamb wave has a magnified amplitude of 78 times larger than the normal one. Thus, the cavity on the tungsten/silicon phononic-crystal plate may serve as a source element in a microscale acoustic wave device.