A team of researchers from the Rowland Institute at Harvard University has developed a computer system using a new meta-material that can independently control heat and electrical current.
The system utilizes “coordinate transformation” theory where the meta-material acts like a channel to direct the flow of light around an object, making it invisible from the outside. The researchers created a model that could simultaneously bend electrical current around an object, and pull heat towards the object. The use of aluminum nitride and silver conductive epoxy in the system allow for two separate paths to be created to separate current and heat. The team believes this type of system could improve the efficiency of harvesting energy from devices to create electricity.
