Physicists have developed a material that can regulate two key aspects of thermal behavior: how much heat it absorbs and how much it emits. The two properties can be controlled independently rather than being locked together.

The researchers say the material also preserves its selected thermal settings after the power is turned off. That means its heat-related behavior does not immediately reset when external energy is removed.

The result challenges the conventional limits of controlling heat and points to a new way of designing materials with adjustable thermal properties. The work centers on the material’s ability to retain and separately manage heat absorption and emission.