Salford research makes top ten of physics breakthroughs 2011

Prof Allan Boardman

Work on making objects disappear from vision by the University of Salford’s Professor Allan Boardman has been named the third biggest physics breakthrough in 2011.

Professor Boardman worked with colleagues from Imperial College London on a paper which outlined how it is possible to bend light around objects to make them appear invisible.

The paper was judged by physicsworld.com to be third in the list of ten most important breakthroughs in 2011.

Physics World is the world's leading physics magazine. Every month, it publishes features from the world’s top physicists and science writers and the top ten list was compiled from these articles. 

Professor Boardman’s theoretical work involves the use of meta-materials which are tiny coils which have the ability to bend light around them.  This means that when light strikes an object which is covered in meta-materials, it moves around it rather than reflecting – causing it to be invisible.

The applications of this technology are wide-ranging.  Being able to control light has enormous potential for computing, medicine and for communications with processing speeds being able to be hugely increased.

Professor Boardman said: “I’m proud to be part of a team that has been included in this list.  Metamaterials and work with light has the potential to make a huge difference to people’s lives and, by establishing some of the theory we have made an important leap in making this a reality.”