Acoustic metamaterial with negative modulus and a double negative structure

Abstract: An acoustic negative bulk modulus metamaterial based on the concept of expansion chambers is proposed. It is shown that addition of a neck region to an ordinary expansion chamber improves its transmission loss characteristics at low frequencies and the resulting structure displays a negative bulk modulus behavior. Additionally, membrane based metamaterials are analyzed. Using FEM, the negative density behavior of a membrane carrying a center mass and of a tensioned membrane array is analyzed and the inherent similarity of the two designs is discussed. Further, the modified expansion chamber is combined with an array of stretched membranes and the resulting structure is analyzed for double negative behavior.