Surface acoustic waves: Researchers publish new ‘roadmap’

Surface acoustic waves (SAWs) are used across almost all disciplines in nanoscience. These nanoscale sound waves can be generated by an electrode structure on a chip (left). They are employed, for example, to control or read out single photons, qubits, artificial atoms, magnetic systems, novel 2D materials, or even living cells in biomedical applications (from left to right). © AG Krenner - Matthias Weiß

Surface acoustic waves: Researchers publish new 'roadmap'

The application of surface acoustic waves is widespread. The spectrum ranges from modern communication technologies, for example wireless data transmission with smartphones, to the life sciences, where tiny amounts of matter are examined. The importance of surface acoustic wave technologies will continue to grow, according to more than fifty leading researchers from around the world who contributed to the current publication 2026 Guided Acoustic Wave Roadmap. The publication provides an overview of the advances and developments in the dynamically growing research field of acoustic waves in solids. The roadmap, published in the Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, was coordinated by Prof Hubert J. Krenner (University of Münster), Dr. Paulo V. Santos (Paul Drude Institute for Solid State Electronics (PDI)) and Prof. Dr. Christoph Westerhausen of the University of Augsburg.

Surface acoustic waves (SAWs) are mechanical vibrations that propagate along the surface of a material. Since they can strongly interact with electronic, optical and magnetic excitations, SAWs provide a powerful way to manipulate physical processes in solid-state systems. Originally, they were used in radio-frequency filters and sensing technologies. Today, SAW-based approaches are increasingly being applied in quantum technologies, optomechanics, in hybrid photonic-phononic systems and in advanced signal processing.

For Paulo V. Santos, the roadmap reflects several decades of scientific development in a research field that he helped to shape. "Surface acoustic waves have evolved from a tool for classical signal processing into a versatile platform for controlling elementary excitations in advanced materials," he notes. Hubert Krenner adds: "We witness a clear focus on the use of SAWs to couple modern nano- and quantum systems on innovative material platforms. An example is hybrid quantum chips that interconnect light and sound waves."

The roadmap assembles contributions from leading researchers, each highlighting progress and challenges in their area of expertise. Together, they provide an overview of how SAW-based concepts are evolving across materials science, condensed-matter physics and device engineering. By bringing together perspectives from the international research community, the Surface Acoustic Waves Roadmap 2026 provides a comprehensive reference point for academics as well as engineers working on acoustic waves in solids or exploring new ways to use sound to control matter on the nanoscale. Christoph Westerhausen emphasizes: "We cover a very broad spectrum of nanoscience from modern quantum technologies to bioscience. The same acoustic wave serves as a carrier of quantum information and controls living cells in a thumbnail-sized laboratory on a chip."

The new roadmap directly builds on the Surface Acoustic Waves Roadmap from 2019. This earlier publication painted a comprehensive picture of a rapidly developing research field and formulated central perspectives for future work. In the past few years, many of these earlier visions have developed into active research directions, while new scientific and technological possibilities have emerged. The Roadmap 2026 continues this development.

Original publication:

H. J. Krenner, P. V. Santos, C. Westerhausen et al. (2026): The 2026 guided acoustic waves roadmap. J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 59, 093001; DOI: 10.1088/1361-6463/ae258d

Further information

• Original publication
• Physics Institute/Krenner Group