Tunable Band Gap in Piezoelectric Composite Rod Based on the Inter-Coupling Effect

The longitudinal wave propagating in one-dimensional periodic piezoelectric composite rod with inter-coupling between different piezoelectric segments is investigated. The analytical formulae for such a structure are shown and the dispersion relation is calculated. The results show that, by introducing the inter-coupling between the different piezoelectric segments, which is accomplished by serially connecting every n piezoelectric segment into supercells, some tunable Bragg band gaps can accordingly be opened in the low frequency region. The investigation could provide a new guideline for the tunable phononic crystal under passive control.