Could Chemistry Make Real-Life Invisibility?
Cloaking relies on redirecting light.
Bending light around objects
By Peter Teoh, Science Writer
Invisibility is more about optics than magic. If you can guide light around an object, it can appear to disappear.
Explainer: Metamaterials and refractive control
Focus: Metamaterials use tiny structures to steer light in unusual ways, including negative refraction. In theory, a cloak could guide light around an object and rejoin it on the other side.
In practice, current cloaks work only for limited wavelengths and angles. Chemistry and materials science are key to building structures that control light precisely.
Summary of Key Ideas:
- Cloaking depends on controlling light paths.
- Metamaterials can bend light in unusual ways.
- Current cloaks are narrow-band and small.
Side Notes
- Some animals use natural camouflage, not true cloaking.
- Optical cloaks differ from acoustic or radar cloaks.
Trending Sidebar
- Metamaterial lenses.
- Adaptive optical materials.
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