Dynamic heterogeneity in soft matter using novel fluctuation microscopy

We invented the principle of the new “Fluctuation Microscope” and also developed the device independently. Fluctuation Microscope is an imaging device that visualizes the spatiotemporal structure, or “dynamic heterogeneity”, that exists within a material. In other words, it can visualize the spatiotemporal images of the inside of materials, products, and substances that are transparent, isotropic, and have a uniform structure, which cannot be observed with a normal optical microscope. It is also possible to observe the transient changes of materials, such as temperature changes, external field application, polymerization, drying, and evaporation processes, as moving images. In this paper, we introduce research and application examples of observing highly symmetric and transparent materials, such as liquids, using fluctuation microscopy. Fluctuation microscopy is a new type of optical microscope that can be used not only for basic research, but also for a wide range of applications, including material development, product inspection, manufacturing records, and medical testing, as a versatile device for imaging the spatiotemporal structure of materials.