Professor Sir John Pendry. Photo: Mike Finn-Kelcey / Imperial College London.
Professor Sir John Pendry reveals secrets of invisibility at Exeter
The University of Exeter is giving people an opportunity to hear from one of the UK’s most eminent scientists on Thursday 11 March.
A free public lecture by Professor Sir John Pendry, will take the audience on a journey through the fascinating world of electromagnetic metamaterials, including his famous work on ‘invisibility cloaks’.
This lecture, entitled Invisible Cloaks and a Perfect Lens, is the first in a series of lectures, The Material World, inspired by the University of Exeter’s research in functional materials. This area of research is rapidly expanding through the University’s £80million investment in science, medicine and engineering.
Professor Sir John Pendry is one of the UK’s leading physicists. Based at Imperial College London, his work on electromagnetic metamaterials has inspired researchers around the world and led to the development of a new field of research. In this lecture, Sir John will discuss many of these developments, some of which have made headlines around the world.
Professor Bill Barnes of the University of Exeter's College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, said: “Professor Sir John Pendry’s contribution in this area is tremendous, he has pioneered much of this field and it is he who has helped create such widespread awareness of the subject. We are thrilled that he has agreed to be the first speaker in this new series of public lectures and I am very much looking forward to what promises to be a fascinating talk.”
Electromagnetics encompasses much of existing modern technology, from mobile phones to microwave ovens and medical scanners. But now a new class of materials, with properties not found in nature, has ushered in some extraordinary possibilities – such as invisibility cloaks that hide objects within them, and perfect lenses with 'unlimited' resolution. These new materials, named metamaterials, owe their remarkable properties more to their specifically designed micro-structure than to their constituent materials.
The University of Exeter is also conducting research in the field of conventional electromagnetic materials and the new metamaterials - as part of the University's research theme in 'Functional Materials from Fundamentals to Manufacture' - exploiting world-leading materials knowledge to deliver new concepts, processes and products.
Event details:
6.15pm Thursday 11 March
xFI Lecture Theatre, xFI Building (also video-conferenced to Peter Lanyon Building, Cornwall Campus)
Places are free, but should be booked in advance. 01392 269101 / j.delmaestro@exeter.ac.uk
Date: 11 March 2010
