Nonreciprocal field transformation with active acoustic metasurfaces

Abstract

Field transformation, as an extension of the transformation optics, provides a unique means for nonreciprocal wave manipulation, while the experimental realization remains a significant challenge as it requires stringent material parameters of the metamaterials, e.g., purely nonreciprocal bianisotropic parameters. Here, we develop and demonstrate a nonreciprocal field transformation in a 2D acoustic system, using an active metasurface that can independently control all constitutive parameters and achieve purely nonreciprocal Willis coupling. The field-transforming metasurface enables tailor-made field distribution manipulation, achieving localized field amplification by a predetermined ratio. Interestingly, the metasurface demonstrates the self-adaptive capability to various excitation conditions and can extend to other geometric shapes. The metasurface also achieves nonreciprocal wave propagation for internal and external excitations, demonstrating a one-way acoustic device. Such a field-transforming metasurface not only extends the framework of the transformation theory for nonreciprocal wave manipulation, but also holds significant potential in applications such as ultra-sensitive sensors and nonreciprocal communication.