(Press-News.org) Controlling and bending light around an object so it appears invisible to the naked eye is the theory behind fictional invisibility cloaks.
It may seem easy in Hollywood movies, but is hard to create in real life because no material in nature has the properties necessary to bend light in such a way. Scientists have managed to create artificial nanostructures that can do the job, called metamaterials. But the challenge has been making enough of the material to turn science fiction into a practical reality.
The work of Debashis Chanda at the University of Central Florida, however, may have just cracked that barrier. The cover story in the March edition of the journal Advanced Optical Materials, explains how Chanda and fellow optical and nanotech experts were able to develop a larger swath of multilayer 3-D metamaterial operating in the visible spectral range. They accomplished this feat by using nanotransfer printing, which can potentially be engineered to modify surrounding refractive index needed for controlling propagation of light.
"Such large-area fabrication of metamaterials following a simple printing technique will enable realization of novel devices based on engineered optical responses at the nanoscale," said Chanda, an assistant professor at UCF.
The nanotransfer printing technique creates metal/dielectric composite films, which are stacked together in a 3-D architecture with nanoscale patterns for operation in the visible spectral range. Control of electromagnetic resonances over the 3-D space by structural manipulation allows precise control over propagation of light. Following this technique, larger pieces of this special material can be created, which were previously limited to micron-scale size.
By improving the technique, the team hopes to be able to create larger pieces of the material with engineered optical properties, which would make it practical to produce for real-life device applications. For example, the team could develop large-area metamaterial absorbers, which would enable fighter jets to remain invisible from detection systems.
INFORMATION:
Other members of the research team include: Li Gao, Youngmin Kim, Kazuki Shigeta, Steven Hartanto and John Rogers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Abraham Vasquez-Guardado and Daniel Franklin from UCF: Christopher J. Progler from Photronics Inc. and Gregory R. Bogart from the Sandia National Laboratories.
Chanda joined UCF in Fall 2012 from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with joint appointment with the Nanoscience Technology Center and the College of Optics and Photonics (CREOL). He has published multiple articles on light-matter interactions and metamaterials and is a reviewer for multiple journals in his field. For some of his pioneering works, Debashis was awarded a Department of Energy solar innovation award and a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council award among others. He also earned a National Science Foundation Summer Institute Fellowship in 2013.
America's Partnership University: The University of Central Florida, the nation's second-largest university with nearly 60,000 students, has grown in size, quality, diversity and reputation in its first 50 years. Today, the university offers more than 200 degree programs at its main campus in Orlando and more than a dozen other locations. UCF is an economic engine attracting and supporting industries vital to the region's future while providing students with real-world experiences that help them succeed after graduation. For more information, visit http://today.ucf.edu.
A breakthrough in creating invisibility cloaks, stealth technology
Advance in large area 3D visible negative index metamaterials
2014-03-31
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Early rehabilitation improves postsurgery neurofunctional outcome in spinal tumor children
2014-03-31
In children, primary spinal tumors comprise 4% of all tumors from the central nervous system. Spinal tumors can present with a variety of clinical signs and symptoms in children such as pain followed by motor regression, gait disturbance, sphincter dysfunction, sensory symptoms, torticollis, and kyphoscoliosis. Treatment of spinal tumors is based on tumor type, but surgical resection is the mainstay. Moreover, physical treatment and rehabilitation implementation are necessary in order to minimize the symptoms of the patients and develop present functions. Prof. Nezire Kose ...
A new study shows that even micro heart attacks are a major problem
2014-03-31
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – March 29, 2014 – Researchers at the Minneapolis Heart Institute at Abbott Northwestern Hospital have found that cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging may help doctors better identify which patients with mild heart disease are likely to develop more serious heart problems long term. CMR imaging provides supporting information to guide treatment decisions and help doctors provide targeted care for patients at highest risk. The research, led by Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation Research Fellow Naohiko Nemoto, MD, will be presented at the American ...
Young women: Eat more fruits and vegetables now to protect your heart later
2014-03-31
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – March 29, 2014 – A diet rich in fruits and vegetables for middle-aged adults has been associated with reduced rates of coronary heart disease (CHD), especially in women. Now, research supported by the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation (MHIF) shows that for women, what you eat in your 20s may be just as important for your middle-aged heart. The results of the study, aimed at examining the extent to which young adults' diets are linked to cardiovascular health later in life, will be presented at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) meeting in Washington, ...
Fewer deaths with self-expanding TAVR versus surgery at 1 year
2014-03-31
WASHINGTON (March 29, 2014) — Transcatheter aortic valve replacement with a self-expanding valve prosthesis for the first time has demonstrated significantly lower death rates at one year compared with conventional surgical valve replacement in high-risk patients with severe aortic stenosis, according to research presented at the American College of Cardiology's 63rd Annual Scientific Session.
Worldwide, an estimated 300,000 people have severe aortic stenosis – a faulty valve in the main artery carrying blood out of the heart – and roughly a third of them are deemed unable ...
Renal denervation shows no benefit in resistant hypertension
2014-03-31
WASHINGTON (March 29, 2014) — Renal denervation fell short of primary and secondary efficacy goals in patients with severe resistant hypertension but did meet the primary safety endpoints, according to keenly awaited data from SYMPLICITY HTN-3 presented at the American College of Cardiology's 63rd Annual Scientific Session. This pivotal trial is the largest study conducted of renal artery denervation as a treatment for resistant hypertension and the most rigorously designed, including blinding and a sham treatment in the control arm.
Hypertension increases risks for heart ...
Efforts to curb hospital readmissions take center stage
2014-03-31
WASHINGTON (March 29, 2014) — Strategies aimed at reducing the number of patients with heart failure and other cardiovascular conditions who find themselves back in the hospital after discharge were identified in six new studies presented at the American College of Cardiology's 63rd Annual Scientific Session.
One out of five Medicare patients with heart failure is readmitted to the hospital within just one month of discharge, a fact that is not only bad news for patients who would most likely prefer to avoid another hospital stay, but it also places intense economic pressures ...
Primary cardiovascular disease prevention is leaving the office
2014-03-31
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – March 30, 2014 – Early results from HeartBeat Connections, a telemedicine program supported by the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation (MHIF), suggest effective primary prevention for cardiovascular disease (CVD) may be achieved with a team-based approach that integrates office visits with supplemental phone coaching. HeartBeat Connections provides dietitian- and nurse-led coaching over the phone to adults at high risk for CVD, with the goal of helping to improve and control key CVD risk factors. Gretchen Benson, RD, CDE, Healthcare Systems Integration ...
Adults with inherited high cholesterol are underdiagnosed and undertreated
2014-03-31
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – March 30, 2014 – An estimated 1 in 500 people worldwide suffer from familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH), an inherited condition of extremely high cholesterol that is associated with premature heart disease and death. Despite this high prevalence, recent research funded by the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation (MHIF) confirms FH is underdiagnosed and undertreated. Thomas Knickelbine, MD, Preventive Cardiology Director at the Minneapolis Heart Institute at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, will present the results of research aimed at identifying just ...
Evolocumab superior to ezetimibe in lowering LDL cholesterol
2014-03-31
WASHINGTON (March 30, 2014) — Evolocumab, an injected form of a class of drugs called PCSK9 inhibitors that lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, also known as LDL-C or "bad cholesterol," outperformed ezetimibe with few side effects in patients unable to take statins, according to research from GAUSS-2 presented at the American College of Cardiology's 63rd Annual Scientific Session.
High LDL cholesterol is considered a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Statins are commonly prescribed to reduce that risk. Currently ezetimibe is one of the few options ...
Head-to-head study favors balloon-expandable transcatheter heart valves
2014-03-31
WASHINGTON (March 30, 2014) — A first-ever randomized head-to-head comparison of two devices commonly used to treat the age-related disease aortic stenosis finds balloon-expandable transcatheter valves result in more successful procedures and relieve symptoms more frequently than self-expanding valves, according to research presented at the American College of Cardiology's 63rd Annual Scientific Session.
Aortic stenosis is a condition in which a crucial valve in the heart ceases to function properly. The only cure is to replace the valve, either through open heart surgery ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Animated movie characters with strabismus are more likely to be villains, study finds
How retailers change ordering strategy when a supplier starts its own direct channel
Young coral use metabolic tricks to resist bleaching
Protecting tax whistleblowers pays off
Bioluminescent proteins made from scratch enable non-invasive, multi-functional biological imaging
New study links air pollution with higher rates of head and neck cancer
LSU researchers excavate earliest ancient Maya salt works
Building a diverse wildland fire workforce to meet future challenges
MBARI researchers discover remarkable new swimming sea slug in the deep sea
Decentralized social media ‘increases citizen empowerment’, says Oxford study
Validating an electronic frailty index in a national health system
Combination approach shows promise for treating rare, aggressive cancers
Raise the roof: How to reduce badminton birdie drift
Ouch! Commonalties found in pain vocalizations and interjections across cultures
Income-related disparities in mortality among young adults with type 2 diabetes
Medical board discipline of physicians for spreading medical misinformation
First-ever randomized clinical trial uses telehealth for suicide prevention
DNA packaging directly affects how fast DNA is copied in cells
Scientists develop advanced catalyst for self-driven seawater splitting with enhanced chloride resistance
City of Hope researchers discover why taking a mushroom supplement slows or prevents prostate cancer from getting worse
Montefiore Einstein’s Marina Konopleva joins Break Through Cancer TeamLab in fight against acute myelogenous leukemia
Early treatment for nerve tumors prevents serious problems, study finds
Study: Student absenteeism crisis may be hurting teacher job satisfaction
Medicaid enrollment continuity tied to lymphoma stage at diagnosis
INSEAD launches free Negotiation Course for the World
Wyss Institute’s iNodes team receives ARPA-H Sprint for Women’s Health award to advance the first implantable immune organs to treat ovarian cancer
Goblet cells could be the guardians of the gut
Romania’s science journalists join forces on new reporting handbook
SwRI-led team proposes new solar composition ratios that could reconcile longstanding questions
Sodium butyrate inhibits necroptosis by regulating MLKL via E2F1 in intestinal epithelial cells of liver cirrhosis
[Press-News.org] A breakthrough in creating invisibility cloaks, stealth technologyAdvance in large area 3D visible negative index metamaterials