On existence of one-partial bulk waves in semi-infinite piezoelectric media

The conditions for the existence of one-partial bulk waves satisfying the boundary conditions on a mechanically free surface of a semi-infinite piezoelectric medium have been analyzed. In purely elastic media, similar wave solutions are known to exist along the propagation directions m which form lines on the sphere m ⋅ m = 1, passing through all the available degeneracy points (acoustic axes). It is shown that in a triclinic piezoelectric half-space with a metallized surface, one-partial bulk waves may exist solely along isolated propagation orientations, whereas for a nonmetallized surface, such waves can exist only if an additional condition for the material constants of the medium is fulfilled. It is also shown that the one-partial bulk solution may not exist along an arbitrary acoustic axis in a piezoelectric. These conclusions are valid in the general case of unrestricted anisotropy, i.e., they do not take into account the material symmetry. In addition, the orientations providing the propagation of one-partial bulk waves because of the existing symmetry are specified for piezoelectric media of various symmetry classes.