A revolution in the science of sound is underway
For 150 years, sound science created indispensable technologies for society: loudspeakers, microphones, radio frequency (RF) devices in smartphones, sonar, and medical ultrasound imaging, among many. Today, the emerging field of topological acoustics (TA) is revolutionizing sound science and advancing frontiers. For example, TA now reveals that sound waves can support quantum-like degrees of freedom (e.g., geometric phase or spin) that were previously “hidden”.
TA also uncovers the possibility of coherence when parts of a wave or different waves correlate and “know” intimately about each other—analogous to a quantum mechanics phenomenon. Further, TA bestows the unprecedented attribute of robustness to disorder and imperfections, so that sound waves can propagate in environments with obstacles but without reflections or echoes. In addition, TA waves can encode greater information and data than conventional sound waves to augment perception in an environment. Also, with TA, sound-encoded data can multiplex for massively parallel information processing.
The three major research objectives of the Center are:
(a) to broaden our understanding of acoustics by revealing all the hidden aspects of TA.
(b) to exploit the attributes of TA to make new or better technologies in traditional and untraditional applications of acoustics.
(c) Invest in promising new TA research directions, where seed-level support sprouts new ideas in underexplored TA application areas.
To achieve these objectives, NewFoS articulates its research plan around three pillars. NewFoS will discover yet-unknown aspects of TA with the potential to revolutionize science and technology. NewFoS will use currently untapped attributes of TA waves to tackle two types of integration:
(a) problem-driven research projects that rely on TA to achieve unique solutions to today’s grand challenges in information science, telecommunication, sensing; and
(b) possibility-driven research “seed” approaches that envision the future with TA as a foundational “engine”.
Integrative research
NewFoS has a core of pioneers and experts in TA who will push the research beyond the already extraordinary properties of TA waves and η, coherence, and robustness. For instance, NewFoS will investigate higher-order topological phenomena and extend current knowledge to topological robustness in the presence of multiple degrees of freedom.
Integrative project 1: TA quantum analogies for QIS. NewFoS will ensure US leadership in a complementary approach to quantum technology without suffering from the fragility of quantum systems. By exploiting the quantum analogies and coherence of spin in TA waves, NewFoS will set foundations to transition to promising and validated modes of storing, processing, and retrieving massive information.
Integrative project 2: TA wave RF devices. NewFoS will enable a generational revolution in wireless technologies by developing the first operational, low-cost, miniaturized, low-power, and functional TA proof-of-concept devices that exploit acoustic spin and robustness for advanced telecommunications.
Integrative project 3: TA sensing of the natural environment. NewFoS will overcome the current limits of remote-sensing technologies to monitor the natural environment in response to climate change. We will develop a TA -based sensing modality for remote high-sensitivity, direct, and continuous monitoring of forested areas threatened by climate change (e.g., permafrost thawing in the boreal forest or soil dryness to guide wildfire prevention in the US).
NewFoS will also drive innovation through its seed research program for possibility-driven research. Our aim is to invest in promising new TA research directions, where seed-level support sprouts new ideas in underexplored TA application areas and ultimately defines new problem-driven research projects. We will explore opportunities in biomedical engineering and medical sciences to create possibilities for better diagnostics, precision and safer drug delivery, and the therapeutic effects of sound. The seed program will be a mechanism to dynamically evolve the NewFoS research portfolio for maximal societal impacts.
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Research team and their roles
Research team and role in NewFoS research strategic plan. NewFoS is led by University of Arizona (UA) and integrates team members from Caltech, The City University of New York (CUNY), Georgia Tech (GT), University of Alaska Fairbanks (Fairbanks), UCLA, University of Colorado Boulder (UCB), and Wayne State University (WSU).
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