Evidence of surface acoustic wave band gaps in the phononic crystals created on thin plates

Phononic structures and acoustic band gaps based on bulk materials have been researched in length in the past decades. However, few investigations have been performed on phononic structures in thin plates to form surface acoustic wave (SAW) band gaps. In this letter, we report a new type of phononic crystals manufactured by patterning periodical air-filled holes in thin plates. We confirmed the existence of SAW band gaps in the created phononic crystals through laser ultrasonics measurements. Wide multiple SAW band gaps and special structures, such as narrow pass bands within a band gap were observed experimentally.