Curious Cat Science and Engineering Blog » Engineering Harry Potter’s Invisibility Cloak

October 20, 2006

Engineering Harry Potter’s Invisibility Cloak

Disappear into thin air? Scientists take step toward invisibility by Peter N. Spotts:

Flip a switch and make something disappear? It’s been the stuff of science fiction for decades. Now, two Duke University scientists and their colleagues have built the world’s first device to render an object invisible.

At least, it’s invisible to microwaves.

But researchers say the work demonstrates that, in principle, objects could be made to disappear from radar, cameras, and other detection devices. The trick? A new class of engineered substances called metamaterials.

Update: more info from Duke, including a video.

by curiouscat Tags: Engineering, Podcast, Students
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2 Responses to “Engineering Harry Potter’s Invisibility Cloak”

CuriousCat: Cloak of Silence Says:
June 13th, 2008 at 8:36 am
“The Spanish team who conducted the new work believe the key to a practical device are so-called ’sonic crystals’. These artificial composites - also known as ‘meta-materials’ - can be engineered to produce specific acoustical effects…”
CuriousCat: Invisibility Cloak Closer Says:
August 11th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
“For a metamaterial to achieve negative refraction, its structural array must be smaller than the electromagnetic wavelength being used. Not surprisingly, there has been more success in manipulating wavelengths in the longer microwave band, which can measure 1 millimeter up to 30 centimeters long…”