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Updated: Apr 15, 2026
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Microparticle Manipulation by Standing Surface Acoustic Waves with Dual-frequency Excitations
Published on: August 21, 2018
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Multidimensional control of surface acoustic wave generation via programmable interdigital transducer arrays
Zongjun Ma1,2,3, Delai Kong1,2,3, Zhenming Wang1,2,3
1Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.
Nature Communications
|April 13, 2026
Summary
This study introduces a programmable interdigital transducer (IDT) array for generating diverse surface acoustic waves (SAWs). The novel architecture enables multidimensional control over acoustic fields for advanced applications.
Area of Science:
- Acoustic physics
- Materials science
- Electrical engineering
Background:
- Fixed interdigital transducers (IDTs) typically generate only one type of surface acoustic wave (SAW).
- Controlling SAW generation for complex acoustic field manipulation is challenging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a programmable IDT array architecture for multidimensional SAW generation.
- To demonstrate adaptive acoustic field control using this novel system.
Main Methods:
- Developed a programmable IDT array with 40 independently addressable units.
- Utilized double-pole-double-throw switches for binary phase inversion.
- Implemented time-division multiplexing with chirped IDTs for 2D focus manipulation.
- Combined spatial phase encoding and spectral frequency multiplexing.
Main Results:
- Generated diverse SAW waveforms, including non-diffracting Airy SAWs and dynamically focused SAWs.
- Achieved two-dimensional focus manipulation with sub-wavelength precision and extended focal depth.
- Demonstrated multidimensional control over SAW generation.
Conclusions:
- The programmable IDT array offers unprecedented control over SAW generation.
- This platform enables adaptive acoustic field control for applications like reconfigurable microfluidics, tuneable metamaterials, and multifrequency sensing.
