By: Dan
Everybody has probably fantasized about having an invisibility cloak like the one from Harry Potter. Though that may be a long way away, we now have an “invisibility” cloak that can hide you from radar. The latest advancement comes from Iowa State University, and does nothing to protect you from the naked eye or from someone watching through a camera. However, it can hide you from machines and radar. It was achieved by embedding resonators filled with galinstan into silicone sheets. Once you stretch these sheets, and cover something with it, it can suppress radar waves up to 75%. This kind of tech can be used in stealth fighters, as it is relatively light, and can be very useful for many purposes.
Also, in Berkeley, a similar kind of invisibility tech was developed recently. This tech reflects light to keep objects hidden. The method uses gold nanoantennas that reroute light waves so the object it covers is invisible once the material is turned on by switching the gold’s polarization. While devices that grant full invisibility may be decades away, it is clear that significant progress is being made in this field and that the hope of seeing a true invisibility cloak is more than just optimistic idealism.
