Biomedical subjects

M Weihnacht

Publications and source records attributed to M Weihnacht.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2002

Subsonic leaky Rayleigh waves at liquid-solid interfaces.

The paper is devoted to the study of leaky Rayleigh waves at liquid-solid interfaces close to the border of the existence domain of these modes. The real and complex roots of the secular equation are computed for interface waves at the boundary between water and a binary isotropic alloy of gold and silver with continuously variable composition. The change of composition of the alloy allows one to cross a critical velocity for the existence of leaky waves. It is shown that, contrary to popular opinion, the critical velocity does not coincide with the phase velocity of bulk waves in liquid. The true threshold velocity is found to be smaller, the correction being of about 1.45%. Attention is also drawn to the fact that using the real part of the complex phase velocity as a velocity of leaky waves gives only approximate value. The most interesting feature of the waves under consideration is the presence of energy leakage in the subsonic range of the phase velocities where, at first glance, any radiation by harmonic waves is not permitted. A simple physical explanation of this radiation with due regard for inhomogeneity of radiated and radiating waves is given. The controversial question of the existence of leaky Rayleigh waves at a water/ice interface is reexamined. It is shown that the solution considered previously as a leaky wave is in fact the solution of the bulk-wave-reflection problem for inhomogeneous waves.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2002

Fundamental frequency degeneracy of standing surface acoustic waves under metallic gratings on piezoelectric substrates.

The paper studies specific features of surface acoustic waves on piezoelectric substrates under infinite periodic grating arrays. The grating is made up of identical metallic electrodes of finite thickness and has one electrode per cell. It has been shown via the analysis of numerical algorithms and the coupling-of-modes equations that one of the fundamental frequencies of the standing wave under short-circuited grating necessarily coincides with one of the fundamental frequencies corresponding to the open-circuited grating if the substrate assumes particular orientations connected with its crystallographic symmetry. The existence of degeneracy does not depend on the material constants of the substrate and the electrode, the thickness of the electrode, and the specific electrode shape provided that the electrode is uniform along the wave normal and shaped symmetrically in the same direction. The proof applies both to ordinary and leaky surface waves.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2001

Properties of sensors based on shear-horizontal surface acoustic waves in LiTaO3/SiO2 and quartz/SiO2 structures.

Acoustic wave devices based on waveguide modes with shear-horizontal polarization, i.e., Love modes, are very promising for sensor application, especially in liquid environments. They can be used for the determination of liquid density and viscosity as well as for chemical sensors. Up to now, several systems have been reported based on standard ST quartz. Those devices lack temperature stability, which is essential for field application. Thus, temperature-compensated systems based on different Y-rotated quartz and lithium tantalate (LiTaO3) plates with SiO2 guiding layers have been investigated. Temperature behavior as well as relevant acoustic properties were considered. Furthermore, experimentally determined data for device sensitivity are compared with theoretical predictions from numerical calculations.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2000

Incredible negative values of effective electromechanical coupling coefficient for surface acoustic waves in piezoelectrics.

The extraordinary case of increase in velocity of surface acoustic waves (SAW) caused by electrical shorting of the surface of the superstrong piezoelectric crystal potassium niobate, KNbO3, is numerically found. The explanation of this effect is based on considering SAWs as coupled Rayleigh and Bleustein-Gulyaev modes. A general procedure of approximate decoupling of the modes is suggested for piezoelectric crystals of arbitrary anisotropy. The effect under study takes place when the phase velocity of uncoupled sagittally polarized Rayleigh waves is intermediate between the phase velocities of uncoupled shear-horizontal Bleustein Gulyaev waves at the free and metallized surfaces. In this case, the metallization of the surface by an infinitely thin layer may cause a crossover of the velocity curves of the uncoupled waves. The presence of the mode coupling results in splitting of the curves with transition from one uncoupled branch to the other. This transition is responsible for the increase in SAW velocity, which appears to be greater than its common decrease produced by electrical shorting of the substrate surface.

Acoustics↗

PubMed2000

Prolonged acousto-optic interaction with Lamb waves in crystalline plates

The propagation and acousto-optic interaction of Lamb modes in an anisotropic plate of tellurium dioxide (TeO2) are studied numerically and analytically. In the case of a Y-cut X-propagating TeO2 plate, the very high elastic anisotropy of the crystal greatly modifies the dispersion curves, giving rise to their multiple oscillations. The existence ranges of backward Lamb modes increase with the mode order contrary to the case of isotropic plates. The quasi-collinear light scattering by Lamb waves is considered. Owing to the structure of Lamb wave field, a simultaneous light diffraction at two different optical frequencies can take place while Lamb waves are excited only at the single frequency. It is demonstrated with the Z-cut (110)-propagating plate that a small change in the acoustic frequency can result in a significant shift in the frequency of the scattered light.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1999

Properties of shear-horizontal surface acoustic waves in different layered quartz-SiO2 structures

Acoustic wave devices based on waveguide modes with shear-horizontal polarisation in Y-rotated quartz plates are very promising for sensor application. Up to now, several systems have been reported based on standard ST-quartz. Those devices lack temperature stability, which is essential for field application. However, appropriate combinations of crystal cut angle and SiO2 overlay thickness should provide temperature compensation. Thus, different systems based on Y-rotated quartz plates with cut angles between 30 and 42.75 degrees have been investigated. First- and second-order temperature coefficients of frequency change have been calculated and measured. Moreover, properties are compiled that are relevant for the device design, i.e. acoustoelectric coupling coefficients, effective dielectric constants, and phase as well as group velocities. In summary, device configurations could be identified that combine temperature stability comparable to that of surface skimming bulk waves in the AT-cut, a suitable coupling coefficient, and high gravimetric sensitivity.

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