Until now computational models were the primary means of characterizing energy flow through polycrystalline materials on the spatial and temporal scales of interest. Using electronic speckle pattern interferometric (ESPI) techniques, the team designed a device with the ability to characterize mesoscopic spatial dynamics of polycrystalline materials in response to excitation with micron resolution and nanometer sensitivity. The resulting optical system enables simultaneous independent measurements of in-plane and out-of-plane deformations, adaptable to the nanosecond temporal regime.