| This thesis presents mainly two methodologies for achieving practical invisibility cloaking. Thus, using commercial technologies, devices that are good approximations to an 'ideal' cloak can be achieved - a cloak that is omnidirectional, broadband, operational for the visible spectrum, three-dimensional (3D), and phase-matching for the light field, among other attributes. We first describe 'paraxial cloaking,' where cloaking is considered as an imaging system. The small-angle ('paraxial') formalism provides a first-order design requirement for any 'perfect' cloaking device. A ray optics four-lens cloak (called the "Rochester Cloak'") is experimentally demonstrated, followed by theoretical work to match the phase for the entire visible spectrum. To extend our broadband, paraxial cloak to larger viewing angles, we then discretize space, angle, spectrum, and phase to approximate an ideal, omnidirectional cloak. Such 'discretized cloaking' is experimentally demonstrated as a 'digital cloak,' where commercially available digital image capture and display technologies are used. In particular, we demonstrate an active cloak that uses lenticular lenslet arrays, similar to 'integral imaging' for 3D displays. The 'digital integral cloak' we demonstrate is dynamic, but requires a time delay for image capture and processing, and is two-dimensional (2D) without phase-matching. Continuing improvements in commercial digital technology and computational power will minimize the resolution limitations of a digital cloak and enhance its processing speed. Thus, a wearable cloak can then be practically realized in the future. |
