Active acoustic metamaterials with tunable effective mass density by gradient magnetic fields

Magnetically controlled acoustic metamaterials are designed and experimentally studied. Magneto-acoustic metamaterials are fabricated by covering an aluminum circular ring with magnetorheological elastomer. The resonant frequency of the structured elastomer is actively tunable by external gradient magnetic field, allowing for values of effective mass density of metamaterials to be adjusted in the low-frequency region. A prestressed plate theory is proposed to explain the shifting of the resonant frequency induced by the magnetic field and coincides very well with the experimental results. It is found that the tunability of magneto-acoustic metamaterials is attributed to the competition between the magnetic-field-induced prestress and the structural flexural rigidity. The proposed magneto-acoustic metamaterials realize the dynamic tuning of effective mass density with non-contact and fast-response gradient magnetic fields, providing a degree of freedom for full control of sound. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.