I get it. You hear the words “invisibility cloak” and your mind automatically bounces to a seven-part coming of age book series about a whiny adolescent wizard. But I’ve got news for you (and no, it’s not that I’m a closet Harry Potter fan): Invisibility cloaks may actually become real. Or, so science says.

At the University of Central Florida, optical and nanotech experts have developed a multilayer 3-D metamaterial that, in essence, bends light in order to appear invisible. Whoa.

According to UCF’s College & Campus News, Debashis Chanda used the power of nanotransfer printing, “which can potentially be engineered to modify surrounding refractive index needed for controlling propagation of light.”

Nanotransfer printing creates dielectric composite films which are consolidated to create an operational pattern – in other words, what normally acts as an electric insulator doesn’t conduct electricity the way it typically does. By controlling these electromagnetic resonances, Chanda and her team are able to subsequently control the spread of light.

“Such large-area fabrication of metamaterials following a simple printing technique will enable realization of novel devices based on engineered optical responses at the nanoscale,” said Chanda, an assistant professor at UCF, to the collegiate publication.

What Chanda and her constituents hope to achieve is that same nanotransfer result over a larger surface area. UCF uses the example of stealth fighter jets for a practical application. But come on, we’re all thinking invisibility cloaks here.

There’s no mention of the timeline of Chanda’s product, let alone when it might be commercially viable. But stay tuned. Like winter, it’s coming.

What would you do if you were invisible? Leave any creepy thoughts and suggestions out of the comments section.