The material essentially works by bending light waves around objects-objects like soldiers, fighter jets, and even tanks. The material is essentially an invisible cloak meant to keep armies hidden, and the company has filed for patents on the advancement. Of course, Canadian company HyperStealth Biotechnology has a different use in mind for their Quantum Stealth camouflage material. Photos and graphics subject to third party copyright used with permission or © Imperial College London.All we need now is a Marauder’s Map, and we’ll be able to sneak around being up to no good. Website: Article text (excluding photos or graphics) available under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike Creative Commons license. Innovative research at the College explores the interface between science, medicine, engineering and management and delivers practical solutions that enhance the quality of life and the environment - underpinned by a dynamic enterprise culture. Consistently rated in the top three UK university institutions, Imperial College London is a world leading science-based university whose reputation for excellence in teaching and research attracts students (11,000) and staff (6,000) of the highest international quality. 'Controlling Electromagnetic Fields' Science 312 1780-2 (2006). (2) Department of Physics, The Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, SW7 2AZ, UK.Ģ. (1) Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University, Box 90291, Durham, NC 27708, USA. 'Metamaterial Electromagnetic Cloak at Microwave Frequencies', Science Express, 19 October 2006.ĭ.

The cloak is thought to be one of the most complex metamaterial structures ever made, as it has a unique circular geometry and it’s electromagnetic properties vary across its surface.ġ. The precise variations in the shape of the copper element used determine the cloak’s electromagnetic properties. The metamaterials used to build the cloak are fashioned into concentric two-dimensional rings, which interact with magnetic waves in a very specific way. Sir John and his collaborators at Duke are concentrating on perfecting their cloaking technology for microwaves, and are hoping to develop a three-dimensional cloak for invisibility to microwaves.

We knew that no naturally occurring materials would do the job, but the new class of metamaterials which owe their properties to their internal structure rather than their chemistry, have proved yet again that they can meet some of the most extreme challenges.' Sir John said: 'Our first paper developed the concept of a cloak but there remained the huge challenge of making this a reality. Their measurements showed that the electromagnetic waves separated and flowed around the centre of the cloak, as predicted by theory. To test the prototype cloak, the researchers aimed a microwave beam at it inside a test chamber between two metal plates, and then measured the electromagnetic fields both inside and outside the cloak. The cloak was built using specially-manufactured 'metamaterials' which 'grab' light heading towards the cloak and make it flow smoothly around the cloak instead of striking it. The researchers at Duke University used theoretical designs published in an earlier Science paper to build a small cloak, less than five inches across, which would provide invisibility in two dimensions. The Duke scientists have proven that the object inside the cloak is rendered invisible to microwaves, which could, in the long run, have a variety of applications for radar and communications technologies. The cloak deflects microwave beams as they flow around an object hidden inside it, in the same way that water in a river flows around a stick.

The team of researchers from Duke University, USA, worked with Professor Sir John Pendry of Imperial College London to create a prototype 'cloak' based on a new design theory proposed by the same team earlier this year. Scientists have demonstrated the first ever working 'invisibility cloak', reports Science Express today. (Imperial College is not responsible for the content of these external internet sites)

Invisible cloak