Focusing of Sound in a 3D Phononic Crystal

We present a combined experimental and theoretical study of phonon focusing phenomena in a pass band above the complete band gap in a 3D phononic crystal. Wave propagation was found to depend dramatically on both frequency and incident direction. This propagation anisotropy leads to very large negative refraction, which can be used to focus a diverging ultrasonic beam into a narrow focal spot with a large focal depth. The experimental field patterns are well explained using a Fourier imaging technique, based on the 3D equifrequency surfaces calculated from multiple scattering theory.