Remember the last time you jumped up the chair, shouting that you need one !! But that time this technology was just on papers, but, now it seems that scientists have found a way to develop an invisibility cloak. However, before you go high on expectations, this technology uses a cloak that renders objects invisible to near-infrared light
The new technology, however, does not contain metals unlike previous such “cloaks” that resulted in imperfect cloaking because of losses of light.
Researchers say that since the approach can be scaled down further in size, the new technology is a major step towards a cloak that would work for visible light.
No metamaterials
As I wrote in my previous article about invisibility cloak, there are no metamaterials involved in this cloak, as metals introduce a lot of loss, or reduce the light intensity, which can leave a darkened spot in the place of the cloaked object. Also, the new design uses silicon, a material that absorbs very little light, it is a “big step forward” in the evolution of invisibility cloaking.
This is how it is done
Quoting the redorbit news
The cloak’s design gives the illusion of a flattened surface by canceling out the distortion produced by the bulge of the object underneath. Therefore, light is bent around the object, like water around a rock.
The cloak changes the local density of the object it is covering, Zhang explained.
He told BBC News that when light passes from air into water it would be bent, because the optical density, or refraction index, of the glass is different to air.
“So by manipulating the optical density of an object, you can transform the light path from a straight line to any path you want,” he said.
Through a series of minuscule holes strategically “drilled” into a sheet of silicon, the new material produces such an effect.
Zhang’s team was able to “decide the profile” of the cloaked object by altering the optical density with the holes, thereby proving Pendry’s theory.
He explained that the team drilled lots of very densely packed holes in some places and in others they were much more sparse.
“Where the holes are more dense, there is more air than silicon, so the optical density of the object is reduced,” Zhang said.
“Each hole is much smaller than the wavelength of the light. So optical light doesn’t see a hole – it just sees a sort of air-silicon mixture,” he added.
You can read the whole article here
I feel this is a great breakthrough in technology . Watching all those Sci-FI movies , I wonder anyone will say NO to possess such a power of invisibility. Hats off to scientist who took this challenge and finally developed such a technology. However, I dont think this will be available to mass market.
Anyways , with every great power comes with responsibility , and to make sure the safe use to such technology , totally lie on these scientist .
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