We consider wave propagation along fluid-loaded structures which take the
form of an elastic plate augmented by an array of resonators forming a
metasurface, that is, a surface structured with sub-wavelength resonators. Such
surfaces have had considerable recent success for the control of wave
propagation in electromagnetism and acoustics, by combining the vision of
sub-wavelength wave manipulation, with the design, fabrication and size
advantages associated with surface excitation. We explore one aspect of recent
interest in this field: graded metasurfaces, but within the context of
fluid-loaded structures.
Graded metasurfaces allow for selective spatial frequency separation and are
often referred to as exhibiting rainbow trapping. Experiments, and theory, have
been developed for acoustic, electromagnetic, and even elastic, rainbow devices
but this has not been approached for fluid-loaded structures that support
surface waves coupled with the acoustic field in a bulk fluid. This surface
wave, coupled with the fluid, can be used to create an additional effect by
designing a metasurface to mode convert from surface to bulk waves. We
demonstrate that sub-wavelength control is possible and that one can create
both rainbow trapping and mode conversion phenomena for a fluid-loaded elastic
plate model.Comment: 13 pages, 10 figure
