Amazing Invisibility Cloak Can Hide 3D Objects from Visible Light

Invisibility cloaks have been around for quite some time. But imagine one that's an ultra-thin, invisibility "skin" cloak that can conform to the shape of an object and conceal it from detection with visible light. That's exactly what researchers have created, concealing objects that are microscopic in size; however, they believe that they could scale it up to conceal larger objects, as well.

In this latest study, the researchers worked with brick-like blocks of gold nanoantennas. Using these, they were able to fashion a skin cloak, barely 80 nanometers in thickness, that was wrapped around a 3D object about the size of a few biological cells and arbitrarily shaped with multiple bumps and dents. The surface of the skin cloak was meta-engineered to reroute reflected light waves so that the object was rendered invisible to optical detection when the cloak was activated.

The idea of an invisibility cloak all has to do with the control of light, whether it be visible, infrared, X-ray or otherwise. The rules that govern these interactions of light in natural materials can actually be circumvented in metamaterials, whose optical properties arise from their physical structure rather than their chemical composition. That's why researchers have pushed the boundaries of how light interacts with metamaterials, managing to curve the bend of light or bend it backward and render objects optically undetectable.

"This is the first time a 3D object of arbitrary shape has been cloaked from visible light," said Xiang Zhang, one of the researchers, in a news release. "Our ultra-thin cloak now looks like a coat. It is easy to design and implement, and is potentially scalable for hiding macroscopic objects."

The findings could be huge for future prospects. They could be used to hide the detailed layout of macroelectric components or even be used for security encryption purposes.

The findings are published in the journal Science.

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