Design and measurements of a broadband two-dimensional acoustic metamaterial with anisotropic effective mass density

We present the experimental realization and characterization of a broadband acoustic metamaterial with strongly anisotropic effective mass density. The metamaterial is composed of arrays of solid inclusions in an air background, and the anisotropy is controlled by the rotational asymmetry of these inclusions. Transmission and reflection measurements inside a one-dimensional waveguide are used to extract the relevant components of the effective density tensor together with the effective bulk modulus of the metamaterial. Its broadband anisotropy is demonstrated by measurements that span 500–3000 Hz. Excellent agreement between these measurements and numerical simulations confirms the accuracy of the design approach.