Visualising invisibility

August 1, 2006 | Source: Physorg.com

A new study published in the New Journal of Physics describes the physics of several theoretical devices that could create invisibility.

The ideas in the paper are based around devices that will bend light or radio waves around a hole inside a device. Any object placed inside the hole will become invisible.

There are advances being made in metamaterials that mean the first devices will probably be used for bending microwaves. Such devices may be useful in wireless technology, for instance in protecting sensitive electronics from mobile-phone radiation in airplanes.