Experimental and numerical evidence for the existence of wide and deep phononic gaps induced by inertial amplification in two-dimensional solid structures

•Inertial amplification induced phononic gaps are generated in solid structures.•The width and depth of the gaps are determined analytically and numerically.•The inertial amplification mechanisms are optimized to yield wide and deep gaps.•Numerically and experimentally obtained frequency responses match.•Phononic gaps are experimentally shown for longitudinal and transverse excitations.

The aim of this paper is to show that a two-dimensional periodic solid structure with embedded inertial amplification mechanisms can possess a wide and deep phononic gap at low frequencies. The width and depth of the inertial amplification induced phononic gaps (stop bands) are determined both analytically using a distributed parameter model and numerically using one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) finite element models. The inertial amplification mechanisms are optimized to yield wide and deep gaps at low frequencies. These optimized mechanisms are used to form one- and two-dimensional periodic structures. Frequency responses of these periodic structures are obtained numerically using 1D and 2D finite element models. A deeper gap is generated with the two-dimensional periodic structure when compared with the one-dimensional periodic structure that has the same number of unit cells along the excitation direction. Then, the two-dimensional periodic structure is manufactured and its frequency response is determined via experimental modal analysis. The experimental and numerical frequency response results match quite well, which validate that the two-dimensional periodic solid structure has a wide and deep phononic gap.