Breaking spatial symmetries induces couplings between otherwise distinct fields. In elastodynamics, these couplings are named after John R. Willis, who derived them using homogenization. Later, Pernas-Salomón and I generalized Willis’ homogenization to electro-elastodynamics, discovering the electromomentum coupling.
Recently, Willis and I reformulated his homogenization method for heat conduction, identified thermal analogs of Willis couplings—previously believed to exist only in time-modulated materials—and analyzed their applications in thermal metamaterials.
Collaborating with John, one of mechanics’ greats, was humbling and fun.
Our results just got accepted in Phys. Rev. Lett.:
https://lnkd.in/d4msJ–a