Miniature Invisibility 'Carpet Cloak' Hides More Than Its Small Size Implies

Invisibility cloaks are seemingly futuristic devices capable of concealing very small objects by bending and channeling light around them. Until now, however, cloaking techniques have come with a significant limitation -- they need to be orders of magnitude larger than the object being cloaked. This places serious constraints on practical applications, particularly for the optoelectronics industry, where size is a premium and any cloaking device would need to be both tiny and delicate. An international team of physicists from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), the University of Birmingham, UK, and Imperial College London, however, may have overcome this size limitation by using a technology known as a "carpet cloaks," which can conceal a much larger area than other cloaking techniques of comparable size

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Awesome another step closer to the cloak I've always wanted. Amazing how fast these designs are being simplified and amplified towards what we all think of invisibility. Isn't science magical....

While this is really cool, all it makes me think about given articles like say the Patriot Act of the USA...is silent,invisible airborne surveillance craft using the new airport xray technology and eavsdropping devices on citizens of interest, or just plain willy nilly on everyone to further their already backhanded Orwellian Big Brother capacity for control

reply to post by Shadowfoot


Thanks shadowfoot i was beginning to think I should have put dead alien found under or some such thing in the title

That's pretty damn awesome! But is it just theory still or is there an actual 'carpet cloak' that does this? And if so, where's the video?

Originally posted by iforget
reply to post by Shadowfoot

 

i was beginning to think I should have put dead alien found under or some such thing in the title

Haha... yeah, that seems to get the most replies. Or just mention Birther, HAARP or Chemtrails... those always get immediate reactions!

reply to post by MikeyBones


This is not the same material but it is one of the more reality based of the you tube vids out there on this



this one is more of a simualtion:

reply to post by iforget


Yeah, the second clip seems way too hokey. It reminds me of something I saw many many years ago about having hundreds a sensors/cameras that would take an image and then display it on a 'monitor' of sorts on the other side of the cloak. It also was more of a simulation, even adding computer generated effects to make it look like a Predator movie! Where as the second video's principle is easier to follow, the first clip almost seems to be more practicle (but way too complex for me to verify as practicle).

Thanks for the videos!

reply to post by iforget


Ive thought about this off and on, and as of yet I have not been able to find an answer...

Does anyone know if these cloaks also mask heat?

reply to post by Xcathdra


If by heat you mean the infrared light then yes they can. For the most part these materials have been limited to a very narrow spectrum chosen by design this is starting to change though.

Although our experiment was carried out at near-infrared frequencies, this design strategy is applicable in other frequency ranges," notes Zhang. "We anticipate that with more precise fabrication, our technique should also yield a true invisibility carpet that works in the microwave and visible parts of the spectrum and at a larger size -- showing promise for many futuristic defense and other applications.

reply to post by iforget


Body heat.... Heat a tank engine gives off...

If, using the above video of the clock the guy has on, the guy uses the cloak, and we look at him with a thermal camera while the cloak is active, does the clock also mask his body heat?

reply to post by Xcathdra


Yes because the thermal camera is seeing infrared light, if the cloak is built for that part of the spectrum it will make it invisible to thermal sensors. Most non contact thermal sensors are using either infrared or optical light to measure temperature. Think if it like this the heat that you feel at a distance from something is really a type or wavelength of light that your eyes can not detect. That light associated with heat is called infrared light. Does that make sense to you?

reply to post by iforget


It does now.. This is not anywhere near my area..

Thanks for the explanation..

reply to post by Xcathdra


No problem my friend I always learn a little when I help someone out as I am no expert myself,.

Update. This short article does a nice job of explaining a few of the practical applications of this technology.

new article