Metamaterials: Optical, acoustic, elastic, heat, mass, electric, magnetic, and hydrodynamic cloaking

Metamaterials and devices that provide cloaking functionalities have strong potential to bring fundamental scientific and engineering developments including invisibility, sound and vibration mitigation, seismic protection, thermal and mass shielding, electrical and magnetic field isolation, and fluid flow concealing. In recent years, rational material design has allowed a wide range of new cloaking devices through the design and fabrication of metamaterials and metasurfaces that control electromagnetic and mechanical waves as well as heat, mass, and fluid flow. Here we review classical and recent advances and the evolution of new concepts and strategies to design and fabricate metamaterials that provide cloaking in multiple physical fields. We analyze the discovery of new ways to cloak light and sound, heat and mass flow, electrical and magnetic fields, and fluid flow via metamaterials and metasurfaces, and discuss their emergent functional responses and applications in a broad range of physical fields.

Automated summary

Metamaterials and devices with cloaking functionalities have the potential to bring fundamental advancements in various fields including invisibility, vibration mitigation, protection, shielding, and isolation. Recent developments in rational material design have allowed the control of electromagnetic waves, mechanical waves, heat, mass, and fluid flow through the design and fabrication of metamaterials and metasurfaces. This review discusses the discovery of new ways to achieve cloaking in light, sound, heat, mass flow, electrical and magnetic fields, and fluid flow, as well as their applications in different physical fields.