Non-reciprocal robotic metamaterials

Magnetic-responsive composites that consist of soft matrix embedded with hard-magnetic particles have recently been demonstrated as robust soft active materials for fast-transforming actuation. However, the deformation of the functional components commonly attains only a single actuation mode under external stimuli, which limits their capability of achieving tunable properties. To greatly enhance the versatility of soft active materials, we exploit a new class of programmable...

Space-time-varying materials pledge to deliver nonreciprocal dispersion in linear systems by inducing an artificial momentum bias. Although such a paradigm eliminates the need for actual motion of the medium, experimental realization of space-time structures with dynamically changing material properties has been elusive. In this letter, we present an elastic metamaterial that exploits stiffness variations in an array of geometrically phase-shifted resonators -- rather than ex...

Harnessing the rich nonlinear dynamics of highly-deformable materials has the potential to unlock the next generation of functional smart materials and devices. However, unlocking such potential requires effective strategies to spatially design optimal material architectures for desired nonlinear dynamic responses such as guiding of nonlinear elastic waves, energy focusing, and cloaking. Here, we introduce an inverse-design framework for the discovery of flexible mechanical m...

In this paper, we theoretically, numerically and experimentally demonstrate the acoustic isolator effect in a 1D waveguide with direction dependent controlled boundary conditions. A theoretical model is used to explain the principle of non reciprocal propagation in boundary controlled waveguides. Numerical simulations are carried out on a reduced model to show the non-reciprocity as well as the passivity of the system, through the computation of the scattering matrix and the ...

Synthetic magnetism has been recently realized using spatiotemporal modulation patterns, producing non-reciprocal steering of charge-neutral particles such as photons and phonons. Here, we design and experimentally demonstrate a non-reciprocal acoustic system composed of three compact cavities interlinked with both dynamic and static couplings, in which phase-correlated modulations induce a synthetic magnetic flux that breaks time-reversal symmetry. Within the rotating wave a...

We introduce a method to design topological mechanical metamaterials that are not constrained by Newtonian dynamics. The unit cells in a mechanical lattice are subjected to active feedback forces that are processed through autonomous controllers, pre-programmed to generate the desired local response in real-time. As an example, we focus on the quantum Haldane model, which is a two-band system with directional complex coupling terms, violating Newton's third law. We demonstrat...

Nonreciprocal transmission of optical or microwave signals is indispensable in various applications involving sensitive measurements. In this paper, we study optomechanically induced directional amplification and isolation in a generic setup including two cavities and two mechanical oscillators by exclusively using blue-sideband drive tones. The input and output ports defined by the two cavity modes are coupled through coherent and dissipative paths mediated by the two mechan...

Emerging photonic functionalities are mostly governed by the fundamental principle of Lorentz reciprocity. Lifting the constraints imposed by this principle could circumvent deleterious effects that limit the performance of photonic systems. A variety of approaches have recently been explored to break reciprocity, yet most efforts have been limited to confined photonic systems. Here, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a spatio-temporally modulated metasurface capable o...

Local microstructural heterogeneities of elastic metamaterials give rise to non-local macroscopic cross-coupling between stress-strain and momentum-velocity, known as Willis coupling. Recent advances have revealed that symmetry breaking in piezoelectric metamaterials introduces an additional macroscopic cross-coupling effect, termed electromomentum coupling, linking electrical stimulus and momentum and enabling the emergence of exotic wave phenomena characteristic of Willis m...

In this paper, we present a piezo-metastructure shunted with bistable circuits to achieve adaptive nonreciprocal elastic wave transmission. Static properties of the bistable circuit are first investigated, followed by numerical investigation of wave transmission characteristics on the nonlinear piezo-metastructure. Both the local-resonance bandgap and the bandgap transmission phenomenon, also known as supratransmission, are explored and investigated. By introducing circuit as...