The effect of interface modulation on phononic band gaps for longitudinal modes in semiconductor superlattices

We present the results of our theoretical investigation of the effect of a periodic interface modulation on the longitudinal vibrational modes in one-dimensional phononic crystals. Based on the plane wave method and the finite difference time domain method, our calculations show that the bottom and top of the first phononic gap can be controlled independently by adjusting the modulation introduced. The effective acoustic impedance of the modulated layers is demonstrated to be of key importance for the opening of phononic energy gaps. Band gaps for longitudinal modes can be expected to occur in a large range of interface inhomogeneity. The shape of the modulation proves not to have any significant effect on the investigated properties. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4720467]