http://au.news.yahoo.com/odd/a/-/odd/10401580/scientists-reveal-invisibility-cloak
Eat your heart out, Harry Potter. Scientists in the United States have created an "invisibility cloak".
"The 'cloaking device' exploits a 'light-bending' phenomena most of us will be familiar with - the mirage - but created by a heated filament of carbon," The Daily Mail has reported.
"The effect, known as photothermal deflection works by 'bending' light beams away from a surface towards your eyes.
"It's similar to what happens when hot air above the ground 'reflects' a watery image of the sky instead of allowing light beams to bounce off the ground. This creates the illusion of pools of water that torment thirsty travellers in the desert."
Researchers from the University of Dallas said carbon nanotubes could be heated extremely rapidly, creating a sharp "heat gradient" similar to a layer of heated air above the ground.
"The extremely high heat-transfer ability of these transparent carbon nanotube sheets enables high-frequency modulation of sheet temperature over an enormous temperature range," they said.
"The remarkable performance of nanotube sheets suggests possible applications for switchable invisibility cloaks."
Carbon nanotubes are a man-made form of carbon that forms hair-like carbon "tubes" that can be millions of times longer than their diameter, The Mail said.
"Nanotubes are formed from 'rolled' tubes of graphene - atom-thick sheets of carbon.
"They are sometimes used in bicycle components or high-strength resins, but the material also has extraordinary heat-conducting qualities - used here to create 'invisibility' at the touch of a button."
Eat your heart out, Harry Potter. Scientists in the United States have created an "invisibility cloak".
"The 'cloaking device' exploits a 'light-bending' phenomena most of us will be familiar with - the mirage - but created by a heated filament of carbon," The Daily Mail has reported.
"The effect, known as photothermal deflection works by 'bending' light beams away from a surface towards your eyes.
"It's similar to what happens when hot air above the ground 'reflects' a watery image of the sky instead of allowing light beams to bounce off the ground. This creates the illusion of pools of water that torment thirsty travellers in the desert."
Researchers from the University of Dallas said carbon nanotubes could be heated extremely rapidly, creating a sharp "heat gradient" similar to a layer of heated air above the ground.
"The extremely high heat-transfer ability of these transparent carbon nanotube sheets enables high-frequency modulation of sheet temperature over an enormous temperature range," they said.
"The remarkable performance of nanotube sheets suggests possible applications for switchable invisibility cloaks."
Carbon nanotubes are a man-made form of carbon that forms hair-like carbon "tubes" that can be millions of times longer than their diameter, The Mail said.
"Nanotubes are formed from 'rolled' tubes of graphene - atom-thick sheets of carbon.
"They are sometimes used in bicycle components or high-strength resins, but the material also has extraordinary heat-conducting qualities - used here to create 'invisibility' at the touch of a button."
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