- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

Russian Scientists Developing 'Invisible' Data Transfer Method

© Wikipedia / MISiSNational University of Science and Technology MISiS
National University of Science and Technology MISiS - Sputnik International
Subscribe
The research team of the Superconducting Metamaterials Laboratory at the NUST MISIS in Moscow is studying the possibility of creating a practical foundation for the concealed transmission of data using unique metamaterials obtained at the laboratory, its Assistant Professor Alexei Basharin, PhD (Technology), told Sputnik.

The T-90 tank - Sputnik International
Russia
Russian Scientists Obtain Unique Material to Make Combat Vehicles Invisible
MOSCOW, January 19 – Sputnik. Metamaterials are materials that do not exist in nature. Their heterogeneous structure makes it possible to change the direction and properties of electromagnetic waves and to control the properties of light. For example, it is possible to make various objects invisible, inside a certain range of the electromagnetic spectrum, with the help of metamaterials.

The most significant practical applications of metamaterials may include new inventions for various industries, as well as super-powerful computers whose electrical signals give way to photonic signals.

Earlier, the research team of the Superconducting Metamaterials Laboratory at the National University of Science and Technology MISIS developed a unique metamaterial with extremely high anapole quality factors, a phenomenon caused by the special configuration of electromagnetic fields.

The anapole is a source whose electromagnetic fields are confined inside itself and are not emitted into adjacent space. The quality factor is a value describing the quality of an oscillating system. Increased quality factors serve to reduce energy losses inside a system during one oscillation.

Unique Metamaterial

"We have developed a unique flat metamaterial which is, in fact, a small planar array of the so-called meta-molecules, carved out by a laser cutter from an integral piece of ordinary steel. The special configuration of cells, created in this manner, provides a combination of anapoles whose electric fields are concentrated inside micro-volumes (central gaps), and whose magnetic fields revolve around them," Basharin explained.

NUST MISIS experts have managed to achieve quite impressive results with a substantial quality factor, while experimenting with the new metamaterial, he said.

"This result leads to very interesting consequences. For example, our metamaterial can serve as a basis for extremely sensitive sensors. It can 'sense' the presence of even miniscule amounts of various substances, including explosives. It will be possible to 'see' that a certain person had touched hexogen a week ago," the scientist noted.

"It will also become possible to detect certain medications. Today, we want to try and detect antibiotics inside foods," Basharin said.

The new metamaterial will also help make various types of equipment "invisible" using stealth technology.

Fantastic Prospects

"Efforts to study the interaction of objects with the help of electromagnetic potentials alone, rather than electromagnetic fields, are probably the most fantastic application of anapoles, and this amounts to the famous Aharonov–Bohm Effect in quantum physics," Bashirin noted.

Russian researchers have developed a unique technology to make trains safer - Sputnik International
Russian Researchers Conceive of a Way to Make Trains Safer
"The anapole, which does not emit electromagnetic fields, can emit electromagnetic potentials. This creates a unique opportunity for concealing various objects, for shielding them from electromagnetic fields and for developing concealed data transmission systems only through the modulation of the vector potential. Moreover, this may imply that we are simply unable to see numerous objects in nature because they interact with potentials alone, rather than electromagnetic fields," the scientist explained.

According to Basharin, NUST MISIS experts are already searching for methods to experimentally examine this possibility with the help of their new metamaterial.

If successful, the above-mentioned metamaterial could be used as the so-called qubits, the main building blocks of quantum computers whose elements interact with the help of potentials, rather than fields.

Never miss a story again — sign up to our Telegram channel and we'll keep you up to speed!

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала