University of Colorado Boulder Proposes Acoustic Metasurface Technology for Broadband Turbulence Control

A team led by Professor Mahmoud I. Hussein from the Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder has developed a phononic metasurface technology based on coiled phononic structures, designed to suppress turbulent boundary layers on aircraft wings through engineered micro-vibrations. This technique leverages phonons—tiny internal vibrations generated by engineered near-surface materials—that dynamically interact with airflow to influence skin friction drag. The findings, published in *Physical Review X* and *Proceedings of the Royal Society A*, report two key discoveries: "super-resonance" and "scattering-free interference." The research notes that a single transcontinental commercial flight across the United States consumes over 10,000 gallons (37,900 liters) of aviation fuel, and this new technology holds promise for significantly improving fuel efficiency.