Resonance frequencies of piezoelectric plates surrounded by solid and fluid half-spaces

The design of ultrasound transducers, resonators and other piezoelectric devices usually requires the calculation of the resonance frequencies of piezoelectric plates. Recent studies have shown that the resonance frequencies for plates in vacuum correspond to frequencies where the waveguide group velocity vanishes (zero-group-velocity points). However, those studies are limited to vacuum boundary conditions. The objective of the present study is to analyze the resonance frequencies of layered piezoelectric plates in contact with solid and fluid half-spaces and their relation to the dispersion behavior of the elastic guided wave propagation. Theoretical analysis using partial-wave approach of leaky Lamb waves is performed to study wave propagation in, and resonance behavior of, multilayered plates in contact with solid and fluid half-spaces. A novel observation resulted from this analysis is that, for plates in contact with solid and fluid half-spaces, the resonance frequencies occur at points where the magnitude of the wavenumber reaches a minimum. This frequency is named as a ‘transition frequency’. Such observations are important because they allow an easy identification of resonance frequencies with high amplitude response directly from the dispersion curves. This study will be helpful for the design of piezoelectric components used for resonators and sensors.