Transforming materials listening to their secrets

We rarely notice them, but whispers of matter play a huge role in our lives. They hold secrets regarding strength, fragility, disease, and even stress. But the question is, how do we reveal and listen to whispers inside matter? What is the power of those whispers? An encounter between the light and sound reveals their mechanical properties, their unique elastic signature, it reveals the development of a disease, even its possible treatment, it possesses the possibility of revealing the secret of the PhD student's silver strands, and many more! With a little help from a microscope and a Fabry-Pérot interferometer, a pinch of knowledge, and a good sense for humor, we can hear and discover all of them.

Residential and industrial heating/cooling account for ~50% of the European Union’s final energy consumption and adds up to ~30% of total carbon dioxide emissions. Most of the energy are dependent on fossil fuels, which releases air pollutants and greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. Here i develop thermal metamaterials that smartly switches between “on cooling” in hot times and “off cooling” in cold times, thus contributing to energy saving from an all-season perspective.