To conquer invisibility is to conquer the world and achieve great power. Amazingly this technology is no longer part of the magic and imagination world of Harry potter and Star Trek alone, but based on science. Invisibility cloaks are now not only possible but were achieved in labs around the world. You no longer need to wait for the invisibility potion to become an invisible man, optical camouflage would be a great choice for the armies of the future as well as making a 3D television.
How does Invisibility Cloak Work?
Invisibility cloaks use one of the most important method involving light waves bending around a region or object and emerging on the other side as if the waves had simply passed through empty space, creating an "invisible" region which is cloaked. In order to achieve that, the object or region has to be concealed using a cloaking device, which must be undetectable to electromagnetic waves. Devices made in laboratories called Metamaterials use structures having cellular architectures designed to create combinations of material parameters not available in nature, which can help in achieving the desired effect of invisibility.
Is it Possible to Become an Invisible Man?
Becoming invisible has never been this close to being possible. Becoming an invisible person gives you the power of observing without being observed, doing things without being seen. Now to become a ghost is only a matter of time, because science has made great strides towards achieving just that but still far from perfect.
There are many approaches adopted by scientist to creating the invisible man. One for example is using cameras and a projector; they beam the background video onto an obstacle's highly reflective surface, causing it to almost disappear. But the concept is simple, if you want people to see through you, then simply film what's behind you and project it onto your body.
Optical Camouflage “Invisible Suit”
Another more exciting approach is fashioning a coat just like the invisible suit that can make a person seem transparent, they recently made it possible for a driver to glance "through" the solid door and dashboard of a car to reveal otherwise hidden cyclists and road markings.
Here is a video demonstrating some techniques showing that invisibility is real:
Invisibility Cloak
The real cloaking involves making an object invisible or undetectable to electromagnetic waves, which is a promising technology. However since it’s new, the technology is far from perfect, but at least it’s a more advanced approach, it’s a cloak made from Metamaterials, tiny structures smaller than the wavelength of light. If properly constructed, such a cloak would actually guide rays of visible light around an object, much like a rock diverting water in a stream. For now, however, the technology only works in two dimensions with a size of 10 micrometers across.
While metallic Metamaterials have been successfully used to achieve invisibility cloaking at microwave frequencies, until now cloaking at optical frequencies, a key step towards achieving actual invisibility, has not been successful because the metal elements absorb too much light.
In one lab research the cloak operates for light between 1,400 and 1,800 nanometers in wavelength, which is the near-infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, just slightly longer than light that can be seen with the human eye. However, because of its all dielectric composition and design, the cloak is relatively easy to fabricate and should be upwardly scalable. We’re also optimistic that with more precise fabrication this all dielectric approach to cloaking should yield a material that operates for visible light - in other words, true invisibility to the naked eye. Here is a video giving more explanation about the technology.
Invisible Optical Fiber
Some possible applications for cloaking is by using electromagnetic wormholes, which includes the creation of invisible fiber optic cables, for example for security devices, and scopes for MRI-assisted medical procedures for which metal tools would otherwise interfere with the magnetic resonance images. The invisible optical fibers could even make three-dimensional television screens possible in the distant future.
The effectiveness and implementation of invisibility cloaking devices in practice, however, are dependent on future developments in the design, investigation, and production of Metamaterials. Otherwise we will have to stick to our invisibility potion and Harry Potter’s magic world.
Here is a list of other technologies that are so powerful, conquering them would mean conquering the world:
More information: We hope this page was helpful and provided you with some information about invisibility. Check out our main page for more technology articles here My Technology, knowledge is light, don't be left out in the dark.
