The researchers at the Australian National University headed by Iranian physicist Ali Mirzaei have built a nanowire cage that blocks one or more wavelengths of light from either entering or escaping, yet allows liquids and gases to pass through the small gaps between the nanowires.
Dr. Mirzaei has called his new technology 'optical metacage' which takes advantage of the optical properties of nanowire structures.
According to the research team, the optical metacage could have applications including protecting microorganisms from radiation, optically shielding nanophotonics components, and laser-driven drug delivery.
Detailing the properties of the optical metacage in a recent issue of Physical Review Letters, Mirzaei said, “we have introduced a new class of optical and electromagnetic shielding structures based on nanowires. These structures, which we call metacages, can provide either wide or narrow band electromagnetic shielding.”
Mirzaei further added that metacages can be designed with large gaps between the nanowires, with enough space for liquids and gasses to freely pass through.
Just like an invisibility cloak, the optical metacage can shield objects from electromagnetic radiation, yet the optical metacage, unlike the invisibility cloak, remains visible.
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