The “Invisibility Cloak” in Harry Potter Becomes Real
A new study by scientists can make the “invisibility cloak real. According to an article published in the Science Daily, studies are being made for the “second skin cape , which can change color according to the environment.
Anyone who read Harry Potter books or watched their films thought how useful the invisibility cloak was. Harry Potter uses the invisibility cloak to hide, while in nature the chameleons use the color change feature to hide from their enemies or attract the opposite sex.
Watching a chameleon change color gave me an idea for this work, said Yixiao Dong, who wrote a Ph.D. We have developed a new concept for a smart skin that changes color based on observations of how nature does it. ”
Khalid Salaita, a member of the research team, said that color-changing smart skin studies are still at the basic stage, but a new approach to research has been set.
The technology behind the color-changing “second skin or is not based on pigments. In the second volume, photonic crystals are used instead of pigments. Photonic crystals use the wavelengths of light to change color.
In the research using photonic crystals, the patterns and spacing of the crystals should be changed in order to allow the photonic crystals to change color. This means that the size of the material covered by photonic crystals changes as the color changes. This change in size has created a major problem for the team carrying out the study.
No one wants a camouflage cloak that shrinks to change color, K said Khalid Salaita.
Thinking about the change in dimensions of the material containing photonic crystals, Dong began watching videos of animals that changed color on YouTube. Yixia Dong found the answer in videos where the chameleons changed color.
The photonic crystals found in the chameleons do not cover all their bodies. Photonic crystals are found in a region of the chameleons. Scientists also managed to move the photonic crystals they placed in a certain region through magnets.
The size of the “second volume” cloak, which was able to change color by means of the newly thought method, was maintained. However, more work is needed on the cloak. With the last method, it took 10 minutes for the cloak to change color. According to the researchers, this period needs to be shortened.
Studies on the “second volume” cloak are at an early stage. The color of the cloak is now achieved through photonic crystals. But as in the Harry Potter films, absolute invisibility still stands as a dream.
