arXiv subjects

Florian Allein

Publications and source records attributed to Florian Allein.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2022

Duality of Topological Edge States in a Mechanical Kitaev Chain

We theoretically investigate and experimentally demonstrate the existence of topological edge states in a mechanical analog of the Kitaev chain with a non-zero chemical potential. Our system is a one-dimensional monomer system involving two coupled degrees of freedom, i.e., transverse displacement and rotation of elastic elements. Due to the particle-hole symmetry, a topologically nontrivial bulk leads to the emergence of edge states in a finite chain with fixed boundaries. In contrast, a topologically trivial bulk also leads to the emergence of edge states in a finite chain, but with free boundaries. We unravel a duality in our system that predicts the existence of the latter edge states. This duality involves the iso-spectrality of a subspace for finite chains, and as a consequence, a free chain with topologically trivial bulk maps to a fixed chain with a nontrivial bulk. Lastly, we provide the conditions under which the system can exhibit perfectly degenerate in-gap modes, akin to Majorana zero modes. These findings suggest that mechanical systems with fine-tuned degrees of freedom can be fertile testbeds for exploring the intricacies of Majorana physics.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2021

Spectral flow of a localized mode in elastic media

The introduction of structural defects in otherwise periodic media is well known to grant exceptional space control and localization of waves in various physical fields, including elasticity. Despite the variety of designs proposed so far, most of the approaches derive from contextual modifications that do not translate into a design paradigm due to the lack of a general theory. Few exceptions include designs endowed with topological dispersion bands, which, however, require changes over substantial portions of the structure. To overcome these limitations, here we introduce a new rationale based on real-space topology to achieve localized modes in continuous elastic media. We theoretically predict and experimentally demonstrate the spectral flow of a localized mode across a bulk frequency gap by modulating a single structural parameter at any chosen location in the structure. The simplicity and generality of this approach opens new avenues in designing wave-based devices for energy localization and control.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2020

Growing Phenotype-controlled Phononic Materials from Plant Cells Scaffolds

Biological composites offer self-healing properties, biocompatibility, high responsivity to external stimuli, and multifunctionality, due, in part, to their complex, hierarchical microstructure. Such materials can be inexpensively grown, and self-assembled from the bottom up, enabling democratized, sustainable manufacturing routes for micro- and nano-devices. While biological composites have been shown to incorporate rich photonic structures, their phononic properties have hitherto remained unexplored. In this study, we demonstrate that biological composites in the form of micron-thick decellularized onion cell scaffolds behave as an organic phononic material, with the presence of band gaps forbidding the propagation of elastic waves in select frequency ranges. We show that the onion cells' phononic properties can be phenotypically tuned, and anticipate these findings will yield new biologically-derived, "green", and genetically tailorable phononic materials.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2019

Granular Graphene: direct observation of zigzag and armchair edge waves

We propose a mechanical granular graphene obtained by replacing the carbon atoms with macroscopic spherical stainless steel beads in contact. The experimental measured dispersion relation is presented, in conjunction with evidence of the Dirac points. In addition, wave propagation along the zigzag and a robust turning effect of edge waves from the zigzag to the armchair boundary is experimentally revealed, even in the absence of a full band gap for bulk modes. Our work shows that mechanical granular graphene can serve as an excellent experimental platform to study novel Dirac, topological and nonlinear wave phenomena.

physics.app-ph↗