Active Generation and Propagation of Quantum Analogous Spin State of Guided Waves for Topological NDE/SHM

Abstract

The spin topology of guided waves presents new opportunities for Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) and Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE). By leveraging spinmomentum locking, damage detection techniques can be enhanced through controlled wave propagation, enabling selective energy transport and improved sensitivity to structural anomalies. Traditional ultrasonic methods rely on wave reflections and mode conversions, whereas spin-mediated guided waves offer additional degrees of freedom to analyze wave interactions with defects. In this study, the intrinsic quantum analogous spin states of guided ultrasonic waves in elastic waveguides are examined from a quantum-inspired perspective. Unlike conventional interpretations of guided wave propagation, we demonstrate that spin angular momentum (SAM) emerges naturally from the superposition of elastic wave potentials. To apply these principles in SHM and NDE, we propose approaches utilizing conventional piezoelectric transducers and laserbased sensing techniques. In this study the utilization of spin state and its effect on topological geometric phase is demonstrated through virtual experiments. The ability to manipulate spin states in guided waves introduces a promising framework for advanced structural diagnostics, paving the way for more robust and efficient monitoring solutions in engineering applications.