From top student in college to scientific research powerhouse

Chapter 46 I'm designing a big toy!
"You mean 'maximizing the blurred visual perception framework'? Is it already completed?"

"finished."

Zhang Minghao said, "So to proceed with the next experiment, the next step is to fill in the data. I mean the actual material property data, not just the optical fundamentals..."

Sun Wen didn't listen to what he was saying at all.

She adjusted her glasses and asked again, her face full of surprise, "The frame is finished?"

"yes?"

Zhang Minghao was a little confused.

“It’s not that I don’t believe you,” Sun Wen emphasized, then stood up and asked, “How do you prove it? I mean ‘maximization,’ how do you prove it’s maximization?”

"It seems impossible to prove..."

"However, it's not mathematics, so it doesn't require rigorous proof. But the question is, how do you attract corporate funding without proof?"

"Forget about corporate sponsorship, you can't even convince a school with a framework that can't be proven..."

She talked a lot, asking and answering herself, clearly feeling excited and surprised, but also with a hint of doubt.

Sun Wen's words make sense.

Visual light sensing model projects are difficult to fund, partly due to the research and development itself.

Blurring visual perception and then going further to the point of 'visual invisibility' sounds interesting, but it doesn't have much market potential.

In contrast, the market has a higher regard for 'stealth technology' that can withstand radar.

The second problem is that it is too difficult.

Visual stealth is more difficult than radar stealth.

Radar stealth can be achieved with radar-absorbing materials. With the development of electromagnetic metamaterials, stealth materials in the aerospace field are becoming more and more advanced and effective.

'Visual invisibility' cannot simply be about absorbing light waves; it also requires addressing the more challenging issue of 'light scattering'.

Internationally, other teams are also researching visual stealth technology. For example, a Canadian company announced the development of stealth technology as early as ten years ago.

Ten years have passed, and their latest product demonstration video is like a blurry dome, enclosing what's inside. It looks like it's translucent, but it's very blurry, and you can't see what's inside.

Other teams are also developing 'visual cloaking' technology, and some have even announced significant progress and registered several special patents.

The problem is, there was no technical demonstration whatsoever.

This demonstrates just how challenging the research on 'visual cloaking' technology is.

This is also a major reason why Sun Wen's team's project cannot obtain funding support.

Zhang Minghao also began to think about it carefully.

Maximizing the fuzzy visual perception framework is not like a semiconductor model, where you can simply fill in experimental data to know that the model has great potential for improvement.

A framework cannot even prove whether it is 'correct' or not.

Attracting funding isn't just about a PowerPoint presentation or a bunch of complicated math.

He asked thoughtfully, "Professor Sun, has your group researched any practical applications?"

"I mean, counterfeit products made according to a design..."

"No."

Sun Wen touched her cheek and used two words to explain, "No money."

She thought for a moment, then suddenly said, "We do have a design model. Let me look for it."

He sat down at the computer, opened the folder, and found a model file.

Zhang Minghao leaned over to take a look.

Sun Wen explained, "It's a spherical design. The outer layer is made of PVC, PP, and mirror crystal particles, and the innermost layer is light-absorbing material."

"The outer layer of this design is an orderly combination of light-transmitting materials. They act like refracting lenses, allowing light to bypass the surface of the sphere and then pass through to the opposite side."

"Although it is theoretically possible to achieve a visual penetration effect, it will appear blurry due to light scattering and the properties of various materials themselves."

Zhang Minghao nodded in understanding.

Sun Wen's spherical design is very interesting. The ultimate goal is to allow light to surround the sphere and then pass out from the opposite side, which is theoretically the most perfect way to become invisible.

If light passes directly through from the opposite direction, it becomes impossible for the naked eye to detect it.

Even in the theoretical design, one can think of a whole host of flaws.

If the problem of light scattering cannot be solved, the properties of the material itself will also greatly reduce the stealth effect.

"What would be the effect if we made modifications based on this and then created a corresponding product?" Zhang Minghao immediately became interested.

Sun Wen opened her mouth, but still managed to say, "You want to make changes to this design? And you want to make a product?"

"but……"

She herself lacked confidence.

"Try it!"

Zhang Minghao laughed and said, "It would be interesting to give it a try. Maybe the results will be great?"

After exchanging a few more words with Sun Wen, he left and returned to the Applied Electromagnetism Laboratory.

Once in the workshop, I started revising the design.

The modifications were made based on the design itself, and then according to the framework of maximizing blurred visual perception.

The fuzzy visual perception framework is designed using the concept of optical metamaterials. The main body is still the design and arrangement of nano- and micro-scale particles. The core of the framework can be understood as a sphere composed of countless polyhedra.

Not all surfaces of a sphere are made of light-transmitting material; some of the bottom surfaces are made of light-absorbing material.

If there were a material with a certain refractive index and a light transmittance of over 99%, and the material particles could be minimized, for example, to one nanometer, and a 'sphere' could be built based on this, theoretically achieving near-perfect invisibility.

This stealth is not only effective against human vision, but also against animal vision, including infrared light.

Based on the fuzzy visual perception framework, the 'translucent sphere design' of Sun Wen's team was modified, and the theoretical effect could be improved by more than ten times.

The biggest drawback remains the problem of scattering control.

The fuzzy visual perception framework can control scattering, but it is still limited by material properties. If glass particles with ultra-high light transmittance are used instead, the scattering problem will be weakened a lot, but complex problems such as refraction calculation will arise.

Within the framework, scattering and refraction need to be balanced by calculating a value.

For two consecutive days, Zhang Minghao focused on refining the design of the 'spherical stealth solution'.

He was very interested in this job.

It's like designing a big toy for yourself, and then being able to manufacture it after you've designed it.

How interesting!
Seeing Zhang Minghao's focused expression, Chen Lanjun curiously leaned over to look at the screen and asked, "What are you studying?"

Liao Shuyan and Xu Chao also looked over.

The two rarely stayed in the workshop, partly because they hadn't made any discoveries despite conducting experiments.

In addition, their supervisor was also neglecting his duties, spending all his time in the laboratory researching 'new physical phenomena' with Professor Xue Kun.

Are we still going to continue the metamaterials project?

Liao Shuyan and Xu Chao felt very frustrated. They were already in their third year of doctoral studies and still didn't know what to write for their dissertations.

Zhang Minghao turned his head and joked, "Design a big spherical toy for myself."

"Toy?"

Chen Lanjun looked completely bewildered.

She simply couldn't reconcile the multitude of symbols and analyses on the screen with 'toys'.

Liao Shuyan curiously came over to take a look and found that it was full of mathematical content, along with some diagrams and lines, which looked like...

"Optics? Chemistry?"

"Is this the molecular formula? It looks like a glass crystal? The refractive index..."

Liao Shuyan can understand some of the content.

Zhang Minghao immediately looked up and explained, "I'm designing a spherical stealth device."

"Invisibility device?"

"The outer layer is a sphere, and light can pass directly around the sphere, which creates a visual penetration effect."

After explaining, he asked, "Interested in coming together?"

“Uh~~”

Liao Shuyan thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "That works, but what can I do?"

"calculate!"

"calculate?"

“A lot of calculations.” Zhang Minghao rubbed his forehead. “If I do it myself, it’ll probably take another two days. But with some help, it should be done by tomorrow…”

(End of this chapter)