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(visit the link for the full news article)
An electromagnetic "black hole" that sucks in surrounding light has been built for the first time.
The device, which works at microwave frequencies, may soon be extended to trap visible light, leading to an entirely new way of harvesting solar energy to generate electricity.
The key to making light curve inwards is to make the shell's permittivity – which affects the electric component of an electromagnetic wave – increase smoothly from the outer to the inner surface. This is analogous to
Such a device could be used to harvest solar energy in places where the light is too diffuse for mirrors to concentrate it onto a solar cell. An optical black hole would suck it all in and direct it at a solar cell sitting at the core. "If that works, you will no longer require these huge parabolic mirrors to collect light," says Narimanov.
Originally posted by Nutter
I'm wondering if this device (or something similar) might be the first step towards cloaking. If we could figure out how to trap the light that reflects off of something (how we see things) wouldn't it then be invisible? Or would it be black?
[edit on 14-10-2009 by Nutter]
Originally posted by Nutter
I'm wondering if this device (or something similar) might be the first step towards cloaking. If we could figure out how to trap the light that reflects off of something (how we see things) wouldn't it then be invisible? Or would it be black?
[edit on 14-10-2009 by Nutter]
Originally posted by sirnex
It's not a real black hole, so there is nothing to worry about. It's just an apparatus that mimics the effect of 'sucking' light towards it. This apparatus is just a more efficient way of collecting light, nothing dangerous.
Originally posted by Merriman Weir
Wasn't there something in Titor's 'time machine' that used some kind of bent laser? I'm not necessarily saying it gives the Titor story more credence but it was the first thing I thought of.
Originally posted by Nutter
I'm wondering if this device (or something similar) might be the first step towards cloaking. If we could figure out how to trap the light that reflects off of something (how we see things) wouldn't it then be invisible? Or would it be black?
Originally posted by ModernAcademia
Sounds interesting
Of course what are the implications?
I mean..... what if the black hole is able to grow?
Originally posted by ModernAcademia
Such a device could be used to harvest solar energy in places where the light is too diffuse for mirrors to concentrate it onto a solar cell. An optical black hole would suck it all in and direct it at a solar cell sitting at the core. "If that works, you will no longer require these huge parabolic mirrors to collect light," says Narimanov.
Sounds interesting
Of course what are the implications?
I mean..... what if the black hole is able to grow?
www.newscientist.com
(visit the link for the full news article)
Originally posted by sirnex
reply to post by Merriman Weir
Titor's time machine used a singularity which is far different than what this device does. This device isn't a real black hole nor uses gravity at all to produce it's effects. It's just an efficient light trap.