Simultaneous microwave photonic and phononic band gaps in piezoelectric–piezomagnetic superlattices with three types of domains in a unit cell

•Dual microwave photonic and phononic band gaps can coexist in the PPSUC.•Two categories of phononic band gaps with different mechanism can be obtained.•Nearly dispersionless branches appear in the microwave photonic band gaps.

A novel phoxonic crystal using the piezoelectric (PMN-PT) and piezomagnetic (CoFe2O4) superlattices with three types of domains in a unit cell (PPSUC) is present, in which dual microwave photonic and phononic band gaps can be obtained simultaneously. Two categories of phononic band gaps, originating from both the Bragg scattering of acoustic waves in periodic structures at the Brillouin zone boundary and the electromagnetic wave-lattice vibration couplings near the Brillouin zone center, can be observed in the phononic band structures. The general characteristics of the microwave photonic band structures are similar to those of pure piezoelectric or piezomagnetic superlattices, with the major discrepancy being the appearance of nearly dispersionless branches within the microwave photonic band gaps, which show an extremely large group velocity delay. Thus, the properties may also be applied to compact acoustic-microwave devices.