Review of Underwater Acoustic Communication Based on Metamaterials

Abstract

In recent years, acoustic metamaterials, as a sort of novel artificial composite materials, have demonstrated the ability to surpass the limitations of traditional materials through their exceptional acoustic parameter manipulation capabilities. Thus, acoustic metamaterials have shown promising applications in numerous areas such as underwater detection, underwater target identification, acoustic imaging, navigation, and underwater communication. The advancements in metamaterial-based underwater acoustic communication were reviewed, focusing primarily on multiplex communication based on acoustic orbital angular momentum, underwater acoustic communication between specific transmitter and receiver based on beam steering of acoustic metasurface, and water-air trans-medium acoustic communication. The key technologies were summarized, and the current challenges and future prospects of metamaterial-based underwater acoustic communication were outlined.

Keywords

• acoustic communication
• acoustic metamaterials
• orbital angular momentum
• multiplex
• beam steering
• water-air trans-medium