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May 30, 2006

Invisible Objects?

Topics: General Science

Sounds far fetched, but one day objects (and maybe people???) could be made invisible: ... scientists at theoretical physics labs around the world have published an article in the latest edition of Science which reveals that materials already being developed could funnel light and electromagnetic radiation around any object and render it invisible.

Apparently, the devices involve the use of plasmons -- tiny electronic excitations on the surfaces of some metals -- to cancel out the visible light or other radiation coming from an object.

Objects are visible in the optical range because they reflect light, a process scientists call scattering. Objects absorb light, too, and what is absorbed is not seen. The sky is blue because the atmosphere scatters blue light more than red.

A plasmonic cloaker would resonate with a particular wavelength of light, so that the wavelength would not scatter.

Posted by Richard at May 30, 2006 9:49 AM

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