US & Brit Scientists Create Invisibility Cloak

A US-British team of scientists has successfully tested a cloak of invisibility in the laboratory. It works by deflecting the microwaves around the object and restoring them on the other side, as if they had passed through empty space.

"This cloak guides electromagnetic waves around a central region so that any object at all can be placed in that region and will not disturb the electromagnetic fields," explained co-author Dr David Schurig from Duke University. "There is reduced reflection from the object, and there is also reduced shadow."

In principle, the same theoretical blueprint could be used to cloak objects from visible light. But this would require much more intricate and tiny metamaterial structures, which scientists have yet to devise.

"As an application, it’s not clear that you’re going to get the invisibility that everyone thinks about – as in Harry Potter’s cloak, or the Star Trek cloaking device," said Professor David R Smith of Duke.

BBC – Experts create invisibility cloak

Other scientists in the field were impressed by the results, coming just five months after it was announced that cloaking is theoretically possible. Ulf Leonard, of the University of St Andrews, told Science: “It’s a very good achievement. It’s surprising that it’s as simple as it is and that it works so well.”

The Times Online - A real invisibility cloak? Wizard!