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P H V SIC S OF THE IMPOSSIBLE
sands of crisscrossing laser beams, would create a lattice that would
heat up objects that passed through it, effectively vaporizing them. I
will discuss lasers further in the next chapter.
And behind this laser curtain one might envision a lattice made of
"carbon nanotubes," tiny tubes made of individual carbon atoms that
are one atom thick and that are many times stronger than steel. Although the current world record for a carbon nanotube is only about
15 millimeters long, one can envision a day when we might be able to
create carbon nanotubes of arbitrary length. Assuming that carbon
nanotubes can be woven into a lattice, they could create a screen of
enormous strength, capable of repelling most objects. The screen
would be invisible, since each carbon nanotube is atomic in size, but
the carbon nanotube lattice would be stronger than any ordinary material.
So, via a combination of plasma window, laser curtain, and carbon
nanotube screen, one might imagine creating an invisible wall that
would be nearly impenetrable by most means.
Yet even this multilayered shield would not completely fulfill all
the properties of a science fiction force field-because it would be
transparent and therefore incapable of stopping a laser beam. In a battle with laser cannons, the multilayered shield would be useless.
To stop a laser beam, the shield would also need to possess an advanced form of "photochromatics." This is the process used in sunglasses
that darken by themselves upon exposure to UV radiation. Photochromatics are based on molecules that can exist in at least two states. In one
state the molecule is transparent But when it is exposed to UV radiation
it instantly changes to the second form, which is opaque.
One day we might be able to use nanotechnology to produce a substance as tough as carbon nanotubes that can change its optical properties when exposed to laser light. In this way, a shield might be able
to stop a laser blast as well as a particle beam or cannon fire. At present, however, photochromatics that can stop laser beams do not exist.
P H V SIC S OF THE IMPOSSIBLE
sands of crisscrossing laser beams, would create a lattice that would
heat up objects that passed through it, effectively vaporizing them. I
will discuss lasers further in the next chapter.
And behind this laser curtain one might envision a lattice made of
"carbon nanotubes," tiny tubes made of individual carbon atoms that
are one atom thick and that are many times stronger than steel. Although the current world record for a carbon nanotube is only about
15 millimeters long, one can envision a day when we might be able to
create carbon nanotubes of arbitrary length. Assuming that carbon
nanotubes can be woven into a lattice, they could create a screen of
enormous strength, capable of repelling most objects. The screen
would be invisible, since each carbon nanotube is atomic in size, but
the carbon nanotube lattice would be stronger than any ordinary material.
So, via a combination of plasma window, laser curtain, and carbon
nanotube screen, one might imagine creating an invisible wall that
would be nearly impenetrable by most means.
Yet even this multilayered shield would not completely fulfill all
the properties of a science fiction force field-because it would be
transparent and therefore incapable of stopping a laser beam. In a battle with laser cannons, the multilayered shield would be useless.
To stop a laser beam, the shield would also need to possess an advanced form of "photochromatics." This is the process used in sunglasses
that darken by themselves upon exposure to UV radiation. Photochromatics are based on molecules that can exist in at least two states. In one
state the molecule is transparent But when it is exposed to UV radiation
it instantly changes to the second form, which is opaque.
One day we might be able to use nanotechnology to produce a substance as tough as carbon nanotubes that can change its optical properties when exposed to laser light. In this way, a shield might be able
to stop a laser blast as well as a particle beam or cannon fire. At present, however, photochromatics that can stop laser beams do not exist.