Band gaps in phononic crystals: Generation mechanisms and interaction effects

A wide range of mesoscopic phononic materials can exhibit frequency bands where transmission is forbidden, i.e. band gaps. Three different mechanisms for their origin can be distinguished, namely Bragg, hybridization and weak elastic coupling effects. Characteristic properties of gaps of different origins are investigated and compared, for a 3D crystal of tungsten carbide beads in water, a 2D crystal of nylon rods in water, and a 3D opal-like structure of weakly sintered aluminum beads. For the second type of crystal, it is shown that Bragg and hybridization gaps can be overlapped, allowing the study of the interaction between these two mechanisms. Atypical dispersion characteristics are demonstrated near the resonance frequency.