Tunable and light-weight phononic lattices inspired by spider capture silk

Inspired by the morphology and material composition of spider capture silk, we report a one-dimensional (1D) bead-chain phononic lattice (BCPL) that is lightweight and possesses tunable bandgaps. Among the mechanical parameters of the stress-free structure, we demonstrate that the width and midfrequency of the bandgaps depend mainly on the shear modulus and the mass density of the beads, while the axial pre-stretching exhibits a flexible and appreciable bandgap tunability. Based on this, mimicking the local morphology of the orb-web, we subsequently propose a two-dimensional (2D) BCPL with the 1D BCPL as components. Numerical simulations verify its wave filtering and directional transmission capabilities, which are regulated by tensile deformation. This work is expected to shed some light on the design and development of lightweight tunable elastic wave modulation devices.

Automated summary

Inspired by spider capture silk, a lightweight and tunable one-dimensional (1D) bead-chain phononic lattice (BCPL) with adjustable bandgaps is reported. The width and midfrequency of the bandgaps depend on the shear modulus and mass density of the beads, while axial pre-stretching allows for flexible tunability. A two-dimensional (2D) BCPL, mimicking the local morphology of an orb-web, is proposed and its wave filtering and directional transmission capabilities are verified through numerical simulations. This work provides insights for the design and development of lightweight tunable elastic wave modulation devices.