Energy transmission in the forbidden band gap of a nonlinear chain.

A nonlinear chain driven by one end may propagate energy in the forbidden band gap by means of nonlinear modes. For harmonic driving at a given frequency, the process occurs at a threshold amplitude by sudden large energy flow that we call nonlinear supratransmission. The bifurcation of energy transmission is demonstrated numerically and experimentally on the chain of coupled pendula (sine-Gordon and nonlinear Klein-Gordon equations) and sustained by an extremely simple theory.