Subwavelength Underwater Imaging of a Wire Array Metamaterial Based on Fabry–Perot Resonance

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Authors

  • Guo LI School of Automation, Xi’an Key Laboratory of Advanced Control and Intelligent Processing, Xi’an University of Posts and Telecommunications, China
  • FeiLong LI School of Automation, Xi’an Key Laboratory of Advanced Control and Intelligent Processing, Xi’an University of Posts and Telecommunications, China
  • LiQing HU Electronic Materials Research Laboratory, Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education and International Center for Dielectric Research, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, China
  • QunFeng LI Jinan University, China
  • GuanJun YIN Key Laboratory of Ultrasound of Shaanxi Province, School of Physics and Information Technology, Shaanxi Normal University, China

Abstract

Metamaterials with Fabry–P´erot (FP) resonance have proven effective for underwater ultrasound imaging. The propagation phenomenon can be understood as a spatial filter with linear dispersion over a finite bandwidth. However, conventional imaging techniques are constrained by the diffraction limit or rely on a strong impedance mismatch between the metamaterial and water. In this paper, we propose a columnar array metamaterial designed for underwater imaging based on FP resonances and validate the proposed design through numerical simulations. The acoustic pressure transmission coefficient, together with the normalized acoustic pressure distribution, is analyzed to quantitatively evaluate imaging quality and verify the physical effectiveness of the model. This novel structure enables deep subwavelength imaging underwater, maintaining excellent and stable imaging performance within a 0.4 kHz bandwidth centered around the operating frequency. We use air-filled metamaterials to create strong acoustic coupling and establish effective sound isolation. This approach significantly enhances imaging resolution, while optimizing energy loss at multiple interfaces, an issue in previous studies. Additionally, in contrast to resonance- or refraction-based approaches such as Helmholtz resonators or hyperlens designs, the proposed FP-resonant metamaterial offers an alternative mechanism for achieving near-field subwavelength imaging through controlled wave transmission and confinement. We also examine the influence of various parameters, such as imaging distance, incidence distance, and array periodicity, on imaging performance. The results demonstrate that the columnar array metamaterial holds great potential for underwater ultrasound imaging applications.

Keywords:

Fabry–P´erot (FP) resonance, metamaterial underwater imaging, air-filled metamaterials, finite element simulation

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