Invisible Metamaterials

Metamaterials, materials with a negative index of refraction, have seen a dramaticincrease in interest, and new designs and applications are constantly being invented.
One such class of metamaterials are plasmonic structures nanopatterned thin metallic films. The tiny holes in the films strongly influence the transmission oflight through the structures. Following earlier theoretical predictions, J. W. Lee and colleagues (Opt. Expr. 13, 10681?0687; 2005) demonstrate that such plasmonic metamaterials, designed to have an effective dielectric constant of ? and with a sufficient number of holes, do indeed transmit light perfectly, showing no reflection or absorption of light at all.
Indeed, the light exits the material with the same phase as it enters it and nothing would suggest the presence of any material. Unfortunately, this has only been demonstrated at teraherz wavelengths that are invisible to the eye. Efforts are currently under way to develop plasmonic materials showing such effects at shorter wavelengths, possibly even down to the visible.
Once successful, such an approach could mean that science enterprises do indeed catch up with science fiction.