Curtis Rasmussen
University of Colorado Boulder
2:00PM, Wednesday, February 16, 2022
310 Kelly Hall

Acoustic Metamaterial Applications and Future Possibilities

We collect information about the world through our senses, two of which, hearing and touch, are attuned to the mechanical vibrations travelling around us. Scientists and engineers have learned to control these acoustic waves, and in so doing they have opened new possibilities in how we interact with each other and the natural world. One area of rapid recent progress is acoustic metamaterials, which are architected structures that can shape sound waves in ways that go beyond what is possible with natural materials. In this talk I will discuss several applications of these new materials, including a sonar metamaterial for exploring the oceans of other worlds, multi-functional haptic surfaces for use in consumer electronics, and one-way street acoustic devices that allow sound to pass through in only one direction. I will discuss the limits on acoustic metamaterial devices that arise from passivity and time-reversal symmetry and demonstrate performance improvements that can be attained by violating these constraints, pointing to future possibilities for improving the functionality of these devices.

Curtis Rasmussen is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder.  His research focuses on novel wave phenomena in acoustics and vibrations with application to advanced sensors. He received his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, where he was the recipient of a National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship and the Acoustical Society of America’s Winker Memorial Scholarship. He also worked for five years as a noise and vibration engineer at Apple where he developed patented acoustic technologies.

Host: Professor Saied Taheri