Will soon have stealth mats

The Royal College of London recently published a description of how to create a material that can hide objects in visible light.

"It will be difficult to do that but it is also feasible," said John Pendry, a report author.

In order to invisible an object, the structure of the said material must allow the transfer of light in a specific direction.

The only way to convert light in this way is to use structures smaller than the wavelength of light used to see the object. In 2006, the science team from Duke University invisibility an object in light with a centimeter-long wavelength by creating a material with a millimeter-sized structure.

Recent scientists have published a paper describing in detail the creation of a material that can invisibility in ordinary light, something no invisibility device has ever made.(Photo: LiveScience)

To hide an object under visible light - which has a much smaller wavelength (about half a micrometer), scientists have to create nanometer-sized structures, which require some clever nanotechnology.

According to John Pendry and colleagues, nanotechnology can be achieved by combining special silica and silicon layers, each reflecting different light.

"It's very much like creating an illusion," Pendry said. The sun heats the air on the desert surface and creates a temperature difference (temperature gradient), which causes light to go from above to refract and enter the human eye, making you see a virtual photo is like water.

Instead of creating a temperature gradient that reflects only partial light, the coordination between the silicon and silica layers creates a material gradient that causes the light to follow the U shape, escaping in the same direction as the light. enter.

The result will be like a mirror. If you look at it you will see your reflection. The difference is that this mirror will let you check your reflex ball from every angle, not just one.

"This invisible carpet" can be built and it is an important step towards a true invisible dream.

However, the theory is quite far from reality. Pendry estimates that with reasonable funding, invisible carpets can be born in the next 1-2 years.