Instead of creating a temperature gradient that only partially reflects light, the silicon and silica mix would create a physical gradient that instead makes light do a complete U turn, exiting in the same direction it entered. The result would look like a mirror. If you looked at it you would see your reflection. The difference is that this mirror would let you check your reflection from any angle, not just one. "This new cloak is not perfect," said Vladimir Shalaev, a professor at Purdue University in Indiana involved in metamaterial research who did not contribute to the ArXiv.org paper. "Instead it leaves an observer with illusion that there is only a flat mirror on the ground with some transparent dielectric box on top of it, whereas, in reality, there an object concealed in the "transparent" box which is not visible for the observer." Perfect or not, it's still an important result according to Shalaev. "This 'invisibility carpet' can be fabricated and it's indeed an important step toward making the dream of invisibility true." Theory and actual fabrication are far apart, however. Pendry estimates that with appropriate funding and expertise, invisibility carpets could be produced in one to two years. "We are theorists; we have an easy life," said Pendry. "The difficult stuff is to actually make this." Related Links: |
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