Optimizing multi-user indoor sound communications with acoustic reconfigurable metasurfaces.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 38341435.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-024-45435-4 and PMC identifier 10858938.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Sound in indoor spaces forms a complex wavefield due to multiple scattering encountered by the sound. Indoor acoustic communication involving multiple sources and receivers thus inevitably suffers from cross-talks. Here, we demonstrate the isolation of acoustic communication channels in a room by wavefield shaping using acoustic reconfigurable metasurfaces (ARMs) controlled by optimization protocols based on communication theories. The ARMs have 200 electrically switchable units, each selectively offering 0 or π phase shifts in the reflected waves. The sound field is reshaped for maximal Shannon capacity and minimal cross-talk simultaneously. We demonstrate diverse acoustic functionalities over a spectrum much larger than the coherence bandwidth of the room, including multi-channel, multi-spectral channel isolations, and frequency-multiplexed acoustic communication. Our work shows that wavefield shaping in complex media can offer new strategies for future acoustic engineering.