Thread: Scientists close to Potter-style 'invisibility cloak'

Last Update: Friday, April 6, 2007. 12:09pm (AEST)
Scientists close to Potter-style 'invisibility cloak'

Scientists say they have finally come up with a workable design for an invisibility cloak.

Physicists figured out the complex mathematical equations for making objects invisible by bending light around them last year.

Now a group of engineers at Purdue University in Indiana have used those calculations to design a relatively simple device that ought to be able to - one day soon - make objects as big as an aeroplane simply disappear.

The design calls for tiny metal needles to be fitted into a hairbrush-shaped cone at angles and lengths that would force light to pass around the cloak. This would make everything inside the cone appear to vanish because the light would no longer reflect off it.

"It looks pretty much like fiction, I do realise, but it's completely in agreement with the laws of physics," said lead researcher Vladimir Shalaev, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Purdue.

"Ideally, if we make it real it would work exactly like Harry Potter's invisibility cloak," he said. "It's not going to be heavy because there's going to be very little metal in it."

The still-theoretical design will be published this month in the journal Nature Photonics.

Professor Shalaev says he needs to secure funding to build the device and expects it would take two to three years to come up with a working prototype.

The major limitation is that the current design can only bend the light of a single wave-length at a time, and does not work with the entire frequency range of the visible spectrum.

"How to create a design that works for all colours of visible light at the same time will be a big technical challenge, but we believe it's possible," Professor Shalaev said. "In principle, it's doable."

Even blocking a single frequency can lead to useful applications, he added.

The cloak could shield soldiers from night-vision goggles which use only one wavelength of light. It could also be used to hide objects from "laser designators" used by the military to illuminate a target.

-AFP

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/20 ... 891596.htm

This is great, but I think they should be working on defying gravity and develop something like anti-gravity as an alternative fuel source. Then again, they could also develop a way to break the light barrier too. Maybe too much star trek..

I've always been intrigued by new technology especially when it reaches into the sci-fi realm.

We have alternative fuel sources, but of course bureaucracy and bribes prevent them from being used.

Yea, like the carborater developed by a private citizen in the 50s that could cause a V8 to get 60 miles to the gallon. Don't know his name but he sold out to big oil for obvious reasons.

Originally Posted by Rockfish

Yea, like the carborater developed by a private citizen in the 50s that could cause a V8 to get 60 miles to the gallon. Don't know his name but he sold out to big oil for obvious reasons.

I think that is pretty much a myth Rock, you have to have enough fuel for the spark to fire it.

Originally Posted by MountainDog

Originally Posted by Rockfish

Yea, like the carborater developed by a private citizen in the 50s that could cause a V8 to get 60 miles to the gallon. Don't know his name but he sold out to big oil for obvious reasons.

I think that is pretty much a myth Rock, you have to have enough fuel for the spark to fire it.

I don't know, MD, I believe it was GE who paid millions for a guy's lightbulb that lasted 10 years!

Well, I'm certainly not the smartest guy Pine but I just don't see how a engine could get that kind of mileage from a carb change, it takes a certain amount of air and fuel to burn (apx. 15 to 1) if you lean it out too much it simply will not ignite, in fact if you dump too much fuel in you have the same problem.
I'm sure there are things out there, like your light bulb that works but I don't believe the carburator one.

Well, that's what I've been hearing ever since I was a kid, but I would guess that maybe this is something I should try and research.

Hey Rockfish, have you ever heard of this?

http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/2598

No, I can't say that I have, Acetone and Gasoline--what a concept! Talk about your typical explosive idea! I'm no stranger to Acetone, having worked alot with fiberglass and resin, but to mix these two together is something to consider. Thanks, JP!