M. Kadic, T. Buckmann, N. Stenger, M. Thiel and M. Wegener

A recent paper from Karlsruhe University reports the first-of-a-kind mechanical metamaterial with properties useful for transformation acoustics - a pentamode medium. The new material has a complicated three-dimensional microstructure, which is sculpted with an impressive quality using a novel dip-in direct laser writing technique. The old saying goes "a chain is only as strong as its weakest link", and in accord with this principle, the new metamaterial makes use of ultrathin beam junctions to drastically reduce its shear modulus.

Journal Name: 
Applied Physics Letters
Year of Publication: 
2012