Broadband reflective elastic mode conversion enabled by a single row of inclined long-slits

Abstract

Broadband longitudinal-to-transverse mode conversion under normal incidence remains difficult to achieve, especially with structurally simple designs. Numerical simulations show that a single periodic row of inclined long-slits near a free surface enables high-efficiency broadband conversion, where the conversion rate exceeds 0.8 across a normalized-frequency range of 0.27–0.74, corresponding to a 93.1% relative bandwidth. The broadband response originates from two intrinsic deformation modes of the mass blocks between adjacent inclined slits: a rotational mode and a quadrupole mode. The spectral overlap of these two modes sustains a continuous high-efficiency band. The effect is robust against geometric variations, demonstrating that geometric asymmetry alone offers a minimal yet effective route to broadband elastic-wave mode conversion.