Surface acoustic waves in laterally periodic superlattices

The existence of surface acoustic waves (SAWs) is studied in laterally periodic superlattices, modelled as an anisotropic elastic half-space with an arbitrary periodic variation of its material properties along the stratification direction (call it X) parallel to the surface. Unlike a homogeneous half-space, such a structure allows for more than one (dispersive) SAW. Specifically, it is shown that any superlattice with a generic shape of periodicity profile admits at most three SAW dispersion branches ω(Kx), i.e., at most three different SAW frequencies at any fixed Bloch wavenumber Kx. Moreover, the total number of SAWs at fixed Kx in a pair of superlattices with periodicity profiles obtained from one another by the inversion of the axis X cannot exceed three either. At least one SAW branch must exist in one of these two superlattices unless the bulk-wave threshold is the so-called exceptional (i.e., admits surface skimming wave). The SAW branch is unique in the particular case of a superlattice invariant to the inversion X→−X. The above general results are illustrated by the perturbation theory derivations for the weakly modulated superlattices. Explicit leading-order formulas are obtained for the quasi-Rayleigh wave branch evolving from the Rayleigh wave in each of the mutually ”inverse” superlattices and for the quasibulk wave branch evolving from the exceptional bulk-wave threshold in one of the superlattices. •A laterally periodic superlattice may support more than one surface acoustic wave•Two mutually ”inverse” superlattices together admit at most three surface waves•If the stratification profile is symmetric, then the surface wave is unique•Approximate solutions are obtained in the case of weakly modulated superlattices•In this case, there is a quasi-Rayleigh wave in each of the ”inverse” superlattices•The third possible solution is a quasibulk wave that may exist in one of them