Nanotubes Could Make Tanks Invisible

Using forests of very tiny wires called carbon nanotubes, researchers at the University of Michigan managed to make a nanoscale tank appear invisible in visible light. This particular material was used because it has a very low index of light refraction.

According to the team, the index is about the same as that of air, which means that the objects obscured with the CNT appear no different in scans. Additionally, the lack of refraction also makes objects appear to lose on dimension, becoming 2D.

In a paper published in the latest issue of the journal Applied Physics Letters, the team describes how the technology was used to conceal a 20-nanometer tank made out of silicon from observations carried out in visible-light wavelengths.

Against a black background, anything could therefore be made to appear invisible, the team explains. This research has multiple applications for the defense industry, among others, EurekAlert suggests.