Xray Vision moves one step closer

I, Science 20 March 2006
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FEBRUARY: Man has long desired the ability to see through solid objects such as bathroom walls and changing room curtains. New research suggests that this may one day be possible.

The project, a collaboration between researchers at Imperial College and the University of Neuchatel, Switzerland, involves shining a laser at a newly-developed solid.

"The material goes from being opaque to being completely transparent. There is a little circular window that you can see through," said Professor Chris Phillips. "At the moment the effect can only be produced in a lab under specific conditions, but it has the potential to lead to all sorts of new applications."

"This real life 'x-ray specs' effect relies on a property of matter that is usually ignored - that the electrons it contains move in a wave-like way. What we have learnt is how to control these waves directly. The results can be pretty weird at times, but it's very exciting and so fundamental."

While the immediate impact of this new material is likely to lie in the fields of laser technology and computer networking, Professor Phillips did not rule out the possibility of a new range of lingerie.