On-demand harmonic wave suppression in non-Hermitian space-time-periodic phased arrays

Phased arrays have been a cornerstone of non-destructive evaluation, sonar communications, and medical imaging for years. Conventional arrays work by imparting a static phase gradient across a set of transducers to steer a self-created wavefront in a desired direction. Most recently, space-time-periodic (STP) phased arrays have been explored in the context of multi-harmonic wave beaming. Owing to the STP phase profile, multiple scattered harmonics of a single-frequency input are generated which propagate simultaneously in different directional lanes. Each of these lanes is characterized by a principal angle and a distinct frequency signature that can be computationally predicted. However, owing to the Hermitian (real) nature of the spatiotemporal phase gradient, waves emergent from the array are still bound to propagate simultaneously along up- and down-converted directions with a perfectly symmetric energy distribution. Seeking to push this boundary, this paper presents a class of non-Hermitian STP phased arrays which exercise a degree of unprecedented control over the transmitted waves through an interplay between gain, loss, and coupling between its individual components. A complex phase profile under two special symmetries, parity-time (PT) and anti-PT, is introduced that enables the modulation of the amplitude of various harmonics and decouples up- and down-converted harmonics of the same order. We show that these arrays provide on-demand suppression of either up- or down-converted harmonics at an exceptional point—a degeneracy in the parameter space where the system’s eigenvalues and eigenvectors coalesce. An experimental prototype of the non-Hermitian array is constructed to illustrate the selective directional suppression via time-transient measurements of the out-of-plane displacements of an elastic substrate via laser vibrometry. The theory of non-Hermitian phased arrays and their experimental realization unlock rich opportunities in precise elastoacoustic wave manipulation that can be tailored for a diverse range of engineering applications.