Work

Designing functional magnetic cloaks for real-world geometries

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Magnetic cloaking enables objects to become undetectable to external magnetic fields while leaving those fields unperturbed. Existing demonstrations rely on idealized cylindrical or spherical shapes, limiting their practical relevance. Here, we introduce a physics-based optimization framework that designs magnetic cloaks for arbitrarily shaped structures by directly solving Maxwell's equations under spatial material constraints. Our method produces continuous, spatially varying permeability profiles that preserve field uniformity around complex geometries, including faceted and multi-lobed configurations. Using material parameters drawn from commercially available superconductors, we demonstrate low-distortion cloaking performance with permeability values within manufacturable ranges. This approach establishes a route to customizable magnetic shields for real-world components and lays the groundwork for future applications in extreme magnetic environments, such as fusion energy systems and precision instrumentation.

Source: Science Advances

DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aea2468

Authors: Yusen Guo, Alberto Paganini, Harold S. Ruiz

Institution: University of Leicester

Language: English

Topic: Metamaterials and Metasurfaces Applications

Subfield: Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $4,500

Funders: University of Leicester, European Cooperation in Science and Technology, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council