We theoretically predict and experimentally verify the illusion of transforming the magnetic signature of a 3D object into that of another arbitrary object. This is done by employing negativepermeability materials, which we demonstrate that can be emulated by tailored sets of currents.The experimental transformation of the magnetic response of a ferromagnet into that of its antagonistic material, a superconductor, is presented to confirm the theory. The emulation of negativepermeability materials by currents provides a new pathway for designing devices for controlling magnetic fields in unprecedented ways. 1 arXiv:1803.08009v1 [cond-mat.mtrl-sci]

The control of magnetic fields, essential for our science and technology, is currently achieved by magnetic materials with positive permeability, including ferromagnetic, paramagnetic, and diamagnetic types. Here we introduce materials with negative static permeability as a new paradigm for manipulating magnetic fields. As a first step, we extend the solutions of Maxwell magnetostatic equations to include negative-permeability values. The understanding of these new solutions allow us to devise a negative-permeability material as a suitably tailored set of currents arranged in space, overcoming the fact that passive materials with negative permeability do no exist in magnetostatics. We confirm the theory by experimentally creating a spherical shell that emulates a negative-permeability material in a uniform magnetic field. Our results open new possibilities for creating and manipulating magnetic fields, which can be useful for practical applications.

Magnetic sensors are key elements in our interconnected smart society. Their sensitivity becomes essential for many applications in fields such as biomedicine, computer memories, geophysics, or space exploration. Here we present a universal way of increasing the sensitivity of magnetic sensors by surrounding them with a spherical metamaterial shell with specially designed anisotropic magnetic properties. We analytically demonstrate that the magnetic field in the sensing area is enhanced by our metamaterial shell by a known factor that depends on the shell radii ratio. When the applied field is non-uniform, as for dipolar magnetic field sources, field gradient is increased as well. A proof-of-concept experimental realization confirms the theoretical predictions. The metamaterial shell is also shown to concentrate time-dependent magnetic fields upto frequencies of 100 kHz.

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