Scientists at Fractal Antenna Systems based in Boston have reported that new measurements verify its claims of a functioning ‘invisibility cloak’ that uses advanced metamaterial layers, produced from self repetitive designs known as fractals.
The object to be cloaked is covered by metamaterial layers like the skin of an onion. The microwaves slipstream around the cloaked object and its cloak layers. In March 2009, Fractal Antenna Systems’ research team revealed about the invention of the invisibility cloak that can work at wideband and make an object undetectable to microwaves.
The latest measurements by the researchers focus on scattering that describes the bouncing of the impinging waves around the front, back and sides of the invisibility cloak. Earlier reports demonstrated the action of the rear side of the cloak in a ‘see around’ manner as predicted. The latest measurements have demonstrated the effect on the waves when viewed towards the front and from the sides.
An actual invisibility cloak must minimally scatter these waves in such a manner that there was no obstruction at all. The latest measurements prove this minimal scattering characteristic, which is vital for true invisibility. The researchers demonstrated an experimental control utilzing copper layers instead of the invisibility cloak to prove that the effect was not a leftover of some other effects. The control demonstrated considerable shadowing from the sides and the back, which leads to considerable scattering.
The proprietary fractal metamaterial technology of Fractal Antenna Systems is the basis of the wideband invisibility cloak. The company now utilizes the technology in its numerous products that are not related to cloaking.
Source: http://www.fractenna.com