Scientists have developed and tested the first three-dimensional thermal invisibility cloak, a device that can conceal objects from infrared cameras while protecting them from extreme temperatures. The breakthrough could lead to new ways to cool microchips, safeguard delicate electronics, and prevent equipment from being detected through its thermal signature.
The cloak can conceal objects with a wide variety of shapes, regardless of the direction from which heat approaches. Earlier thermal cloaks were limited to two dimensions or worked only when heat traveled in a particular direction. The new design overcomes these restrictions by directing heat around a hidden object rather than simply blocking it. As a result, infrared imaging shows a temperature pattern that makes the object appear to be absent.
The research was conducted by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign civil and environmental engineering professor Shelly Zhang, postdoctoral researcher Weichen Li, and graduate student Yibo Wang, in collaboration with professor Ole Sigmund of the Technical University of Denmark. Their findings were published in Nature Communications.
"A real thermal cloak should work no matter where the heat comes from," Zhang said. "Our device can hide a complex 3D object in an infinite number of directions while keeping the temperature inside stable and protected."
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