Defect-controlled hypersound propagation in hybrid superlattices

Phys Rev Lett. 2013 Oct 18;111(16):164301. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.111.164301. Epub 2013 Oct 14.

Abstract

We employ spontaneous Brillouin light scattering spectroscopy and detailed theoretical calculations to reveal and identify elastic excitations inside the band gap of hypersonic hybrid superlattices. Surface and cavity modes, their strength and anticrossing are unambiguously documented and fully controlled by layer thickness, elasticity, and sequence design. This new soft matter based superlattice platform allows facile engineering of the density of states and opens new pathways to tunable phoxonic crystals.