arXiv2026
Dynamic processing of mechanical signals is crucial for soft robotics and mechanosensing, yet classical viscoelastic materials lack intrinsic tunability and quantitative design rules. We show that internal bistability provides a simple but powerful mechanism to tailor response and signal attenuation in mechanical (meta)materials. In our model, bistable elements switch discretely with an intrinsic timescale between states that differ in potential energy $ε$, equilibrium length $Δl$, and spring constant $Δk$. We combine Brownian dynamics simulations with discrete Poisson switching at rate $ν$ and a nonlinear continuum (field) theory for the macroscopic strain relaxation. The model yields closed-form solutions for the linear response and the spatial penetration depth, revealing two complementary phenomena: a universal screening mechanism (akin to the electrostatic `skin effect') that strongly reduces signal penetration when the driving frequency exceeds the internal relaxation rate, and a frequency-insensitive response plateau arising from timescale separation. The attenuation strength, expressed by a screening length, is controlled primarily by the conformational length change $Δl$, while the attenuation regime and plateau position are tuneable via $ν$. A parameter study exposes a fundamental design trade-off: larger $Δl$ strengthen dissipation but also raise the elastic energy barrier for state transitions, eventually causing state-locking where damping vanishes. Optimal attenuation thus emerges from a compromise between pronounced bistability and a surmountable barrier. Owing to its analytical tractability and generic formulation, our framework yields explicit design rules applicable to systems from biopolymers to synthetic catch bonds and metamaterials, enabling the design of soft materials with frequency-selective mechanical response.