Perspective on non-invasive and non-destructive photoacoustic and photothermal applications

This contribution intends to convince readers that by virtue of the rich physics involved, optical excitation, thermal diffusion, expansion, and acoustic wave propagation, nature involved excitation detection, photoacoustic photothermal methods offer a unique combination features makes them very attractive for exploitation in wide area scientific technological fields involve material property evaluation. A perspective is also given on high potential these substantial advances beyond state art diverse selection disciplines: biomedical diagnostics, cell tissue mechanobiology, thin film interface characterization, characterization microstructure solids, relaxation glass-forming liquids.