Researchers at EPFL have used sound to study macroscopic condensed matter without having to deal with delicate quantum problems.

The researchers have described the methods and results of this study in a paper published in Physical Review B.

The researchers created a metamaterial that allowed them to tweak settings to explore different systems. It has active parts that adjust easily. This setup mimics quantum ideas but goes further. According to the researchers, engineers could use it to guide energy for telecom or even capture wave energy someday.

Quantum mechanics has a famous puzzle: Schrödinger’s cat. This thought experiment imagines a cat both dead and alive until checked. In quantum terms, it’s in a superposition – two possible states at once. Checking it picks one state, ruining the mix.

Sound, though, works differently. A voice or instrument makes many frequencies together. You hear the main pitch, called the fundamental, plus higher ones, called harmonics. This mix is like a superposition that you can hear clearly. The researchers thought sound waves could model quantum waves. Quantum states are hard to probe without breaking them. Sound waves, however, let you measure them directly without harm.

Acoustic atoms

The metamaterial uses “acoustic atoms” – small cubes linked in a row. Each cube has openings for speakers or microphones. Speakers make sound waves travel through the cubes. Microphones check the waves for control. These cubes act like blocks for bigger systems.

The ear’s cochlea, which hears frequencies, looks similar. The new metamaterial might also help study hearing issues like tinnitus, a ringing in the ears.

Now, researchers aim to build an acoustic analog computer. This machine would copy quantum computing with sound. Unlike fragile quantum states, sound waves hold up. The machine could show mixed states directly – like a crystal lattice, a repeating cell pattern like in crystals. This sound-based approach might handle lots of data at once and offer a fresh way to explore quantum ideas without the usual limits.

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