Disorder-tuned soliton nucleation for vibrational energy harvesting in discrete nonlinear lattices. I. Theoretical framework for metastructure design
Phys. Rev. Applied 25, 064042 – Published 10 June, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/xlrq-s7kg
Abstract
This study introduces a framework for vibrational energy harvesting using stationary solitons as a design guide for nonlinear vibrating metastructures. While previous research primarily focused on propagating solitary waves, the present work investigates localized oscillations enabled by standing solitons, serving as a strategy for vibrational energy management. A mathematical model is developed that is based on the disordered damped nonlinear Schrödinger equation, derived from a multiphysical nonlinear lattice equipped with piezoelectric transducers. The proposed model elucidates the influence of physical parameters on soliton nucleation, providing practical tools for metastructure engineering beyond purely mathematical analyses. Numerical simulations demonstrate that localized vibrational energy can be efficiently harvested by tuning system parameters, including electrical load, coupling stiffness, nonlinearity, and chain stiffness. This work offers a scalable design approach for soliton-based metastructures, paving the way not only for nonlinear energy harvesting but also for sensing technologies. It establishes the theoretical foundations that are experimentally validated elsewhere. The preliminary numerical results demonstrate the predictive capability of the developed models, enabling the application of heuristic optimization strategies in the design of multiphysical nonlinear arrays.
