Acoustic orbital angular momentum transfer to matter by chiral scattering

Abstract

We report on orbital angular momentum exchange between sound and matter mediated by a non-dissipative chiral scattering process. An experimental demonstration is made possible by irradiating a three-dimensional printed, spiral-shaped chiral object with an incident ultrasonic beam carrying zero orbital angular momentum. Chiral refraction is shown to impart a nonzero orbital angular momentum to the scattered field and to rotate the object. This result constitutes a proof of concept of a novel kind of acoustic angular manipulation of matter.

Keywords

• acoustic waves
• orbital angular momentum
• vortices