A mathematician has created a spacetime cloak using just light and mirrors that allows him to skip seconds or even minutes.
A spacetime cloak, or event cloak, is a means of manipulating electromagnetic radiation in space and time in such a way that a certain collection of happenings, or events, is concealed from distant observers.
Rather than using lights and lenses to slow down and speed up light, Miguel A. Lerma has created a way to manipulate an obscurity gap by diverting the light through paths of appropriate length with an arrangement of switchable transreflective mirrors.
How the Spacetime Cloak Works
The concept of a spacetime cloak involves creating a gap in the light that reaches an observer, effectively hiding events that occur during that gap. Lerma’s approach is innovative because it does not rely on complex metamaterials, which are often used in other cloaking devices. Instead, he uses a series of switchable transreflective mirrors to achieve the desired effect. These mirrors can switch between being transparent and reflective, allowing them to control the path of light.
When light approaches an object, it is diverted through a longer path, creating an obscurity gap. This gap is then closed by diverting the light through a shorter path as it leaves the object. The result is that any events occurring during the gap are hidden from view, as the light reaching the observer appears continuous and uninterrupted.
Applications and Implications
The potential applications of a spacetime cloak are vast and varied. In the field of communications, for example, such a device could be used to secure data transmission by hiding the presence of the data itself. Military applications are also conceivable, where the ability to hide movements or actions could provide a significant tactical advantage.
Moreover, the development of such a cloak could have profound implications for our understanding of physics and the nature of reality. By manipulating light and time in this way, we are essentially bending the rules of how we perceive events, which could lead to new discoveries and technologies.
For more information on the new SpaceTime cloak using mirrors and lights, jump over to the paper written by Miguel A. Lerma website for full details and a scientific explanation.
“We have shown how to create an event cloak device without the use of metamaterials, by a simple arrangement of switchable transreflective mirrors. In the light arriving to an object an obscurity gap is created by diverting the incoming light through a longer path, and this gap is closed in the light path leaving the object by deviating the light through a shorter path.”
The concept of cloaking has long been a staple of science fiction, from the invisibility cloaks of Harry Potter to the stealth technology in Star Trek. However, the work of Lerma brings us one step closer to making such fantastical ideas a reality. By using readily available materials and innovative design, he has demonstrated that it is possible to manipulate light and time in ways that were previously thought to be the domain of theoretical physics.
Source: Gizmodo
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