Acoustic Metaphor for Matter Orientation?

Mihai Caleap prepares the acoustic metamaterial at the University of Bristol.

A metamaterial with acoustic properties that can be reconfigured in less than one tenth of a second has been made by researchers at the University of Bristol in the UK. Created by Mihai Caleap and Bruce Drinkwater, the device comprises tiny polystyrene spheres suspended in water. The spheres arrange themselves in a cubic lattice that is defined by criss-crossing acoustic standing waves. The lattice blocks sound at certain frequencies that depend on the spacing between the spheres and, with further development, it could be used to create lenses that focus sound or even acoustic cloaks. See: Acoustic metamaterial can be reconfigured in a jiffy