Harry Potters invisbility cloak may soon be a reality

The magical cloak of Harry Potter may soon be a reality, for a team of researchers are trying to design ways to make invisibility possible.

Washington, Sep 6 : The magical cloak of Harry Potter may soon be a reality, for a team of researchers are trying to design ways to make invisibility possible.

Researchers from Sweden and China recently conducted a theoretical analysis of a column-shaped invisibility cloak, and found that a cloak made to ideal specifications could render an object hidden inside perfectly invisible. However, the team cautioned that even slight deviations from these specifications will cause the invisibility to break down.

The researchers analyzed the properties of a simulated tube of special metamaterials (manmade materials with intricate, microscopic structures) that can force light to follow a specified path. With the ideal wall thickness, the tube would flawlessly guide light around the inner chamber, rendering the object inside invisible.

The object, who would be unable to see anything outside of the invisibility cloak, could reveal himself by deconstructing the cloak a layer at a time. With the inner layer removed, the object would appear as a thin line, and the background would be slightly distorted. As more of the inside is removed, the object would become more apparent and the background would become more distorted. The resrachers say that they haven't yet worked out exactly how these distortions would appear to human eyes.The collaboration's theoretical study affirms that the perfect column design will allow for perfect invisibility, if metamaterials can be made to the right specifications.

The new study is published in the latest edition of Physical Review E.

ANI