Non-adiabatic geometric phase of elastic waves

Abstract : We study the transport of elastic waves in a waveguide with helical shape. Polarization exhibits a geometric phase (or Berry phase): The polarization plane rotates along the helix following a geometric rule called parallel transport. Whereas this experiment is similar to the first experimental evidence of a Berry phase, by Tomita and Chiao [Phys. Rev. Lett. 57 (1986)], there is a major difference: The evolution of polarization is not adiabatic. This experiment therefore addresses the universality of the geometric phase beyond the adiabatic regime. We show that properties of the observed geometric phase coincide with the ones predicted by the adiabatic theory. The measured value of the phase is consistent (up to experimental uncertainty) with the theoretical value and no dependency with frequency is observable either.