Compact asymmetric sound absorber at the exceptional point

We present an asymmetric absorber at an exceptional point (EP) with a compact configuration and deep-subwavelength thickness. Unlike conventional side-branched sound absorbers in dual-port systems, the proposed asymmetric absorber exhibits a compact shape that is coaxial with the waveguide. By tuning the loss and geometric parameters of the non-Hermitian system to reach an EP, we observe extreme asymmetric absorption. This phenomenon is theoretically and experimentally validated by observing a quasi-perfect absorption and a near-total reflection for opposite incidences at the ultra-thin (1/28th of the operating wavelength) neck-embedded tube employed in this study. Furthermore, we demonstrate an EP-induced tunable asymmetric absorption. Our study proposes novel approaches to manipulate the EP-induced wave phenomena, paving the way for the development of novel acoustic absorbers, sensors, isolators, and directional devices.