Metamaterial adds clarity to ultrasound

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, are using principles of resonance to develop a new material that captures a sound wave's fine details to ultimately give much clearer ultrasound images.

The substance, dubbed an "ultrasonic metamaterial," responds in a different way to sound waves from any substance found in nature. Within a decade, the researchers say, the technology they developed to create the material could be used to vastly enhance image resolution of ultrasound, while at the same time allowing for the miniaturisation of acoustic devices at any given frequency.

"We've been very interested in developing artificial materials with extraordinary properties that do not exist in nature," said Xiang Zhang, Chancellor's Professor in Mechanical Engineering at UC Berkeley and principal investigator of the study that describes the new material.

Zhang's interest in acoustic metamaterials was inspired by the five years he and his group have already spent exploring optical metamaterials. "The goal is to create artificial materials that will be useful in both optical and acoustical applications," Zhang said.