Nanostructure EM radiation blocker?

[Avigor]

Apparently, scientists have developed photonic crystal nanostructures that can block heat better than pure vacuum. (https://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2009-12/photonic-crystals-beat-plain-old-vacuum-insulation) Granted, this is almost 8 years old, but still I only recently saw this. Am I the only one who has to wonder if this can be calibrated or configured or whatever to block higher EM spectrums, especially x-rays and gamma rays? Cosmic ray proof windows could be a thing! lol probably a pipe dream I know but still I'm curious.

[Lvl 2 Expert]

It appears to be a Faraday cage. It indeed does not actually stop heat, which means particle movement (although it will if you partner it with a vacuum or some traditional insulator, and maybe it even functions as one separately from the effect described) but it stops infrared radiation. The same principle would indeed work on higher energy photons, if they could make the material fine enough and when is a bit of a question.

However, according to this article, the great thing about this material is that it was fine tuned exactly to not block visible ligt. They're looking at using it to collect solar energy. Presumably those folks are happy just lining stuff with lead or some equivalent if gamma radiation or some stuff needs to be kept out. In principle a method like this would allow for a lighter yet better blocker than lead, but it doesn't seem to be a priority to the researchers.

I'm not sure if Faraday cages would also work on alpha (helium cores) and beta (electron) radiation, but if electron microscopes are an indication that last one would require a much smaller grid structure, I'm not sure there is even a theoretical way to do that using whole atoms.

[Maximum77]

Why would you need cosmic ray proof windows?

[LordEntrails]

Why would you need cosmic ray proof windows?
In a vehicle that wants to traverse high radiation volumes? Like a star, or a post-nuclear zone, or thousand other places.

[Ravens_cry]

Trouble is heat is longer wavelength, while light is lower wavelength. Compared dangerous EM radiation, light is the longer wavelength.

[Lvl 2 Expert]

O right, I wasn't reading Avigor's post right. No, you cannot make UV-blocking windows this way. As Ravens said, a Faraday cage blocks all wavelengths longer than the cutoff point (with the exception of waves long enough to wobble around the entire cage, like the lower radio frequencies). Harmful radiation has a very low wavelength, because a low wavelength means a high frequency means high energy per foton, and it's the energy per foton that's damaging to among other things your DNA. So if you make a cage that blocks UV and y-rays (that's a gamma as in alpha beta gamma radiation, not a "why" as in X-rays and Y-rays) it also blocks visible light.


And yes, I know that's way too many steps to properly follow if you haven't really learned about this stuff before, but unfortunately I don't know how to cut corners on this one.