Home > Press > Revolutionary ultrathin, flat lens: Smart phones as thin as a credit card?
 |
Revolutionary ultrathin, flat lens: Smart phones as thin as a credit card?
Credit: iStockphoto/Thinkstock |
Abstract:
Scientists are reporting development of a revolutionary new lens — flat, distortion-free, so small that more than 1,500 would fit across the width of a human hair — capable in the future of replacing lenses in applications ranging from cell phones to cameras to fiber-optic communication systems. The advance, which could lead to smart phones as thin as a credit card, appears in ACS' journal Nano Letters.
Revolutionary ultrathin, flat lens: Smart phones as thin as a credit card?
Washington, DC | Posted on September 19th, 2012
Federico Capasso and colleagues explain that the lenses used to focus light in eyeglasses, microscopes and other products use the same basic technology dating to the late 1200s, when spectacle lenses were introduced in Europe. Existing lenses are not thin or flat enough to remove distortions, such as spherical aberration, astigmatism and coma, which prevent the creation of a sharp image. Correction of those distortions requires complex solutions, such as multiple lenses that increase weight and take up space. To overcome these challenges, the scientists sought to develop a new superthin, flat lens.
Although the new lens is ultra-thin, it has a resolving power that actually approaches the theoretical limits set by the laws of optics. The lens surface is patterned with tiny metallic stripes which bend light differently as one moves away from the center, causing the beam to sharply focus without distorting the images. The current version of the lens works at a specific design wavelength, but the scientists say it can be redesigned for use with broad-band light.
The authors acknowledge funding from the National Science Foundation, the Robert A. Welch Foundation and the European Communities Seventh Framework Programme, as well as support from the Center for Nanoscale Systems at Harvard University.
####
For more information, please click here
Contacts:
Federico Capasso, Ph.D.
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University
Cambridge, Mass. 02138
Copyright © American Chemical Society (ACS)
If you have a comment, please
Contact us.
Issuers of news releases, not 7th Wave, Inc. or Nanotechnology Now, are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.
Bookmark:
DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT ARTICLE - “Aberration-Free Ultrathin Flat Lenses and Axicons at Telecom Wavelengths Based on Plasmonic Metasurfaces”
News and information
Imec and GLOBALFOUNDRIES collaborate to advance high-density memory technology: STT-MRAM offers enhanced performance and scalability for embedded and standalone applications May 21st, 2013
International survey supports need for built-in water protection on smartphones and tablets May 21st, 2013
Rice unveils method for tailoring optical processors: Arranging nanoparticles in geometric patterns allows for control of light with light May 21st, 2013
Iran to Hold 1st Conference on Applications of Nanotechnology in Energy Industry May 21st, 2013
Display technology/LEDs/SS Lighting/OLEDs
Cambrios Taps Sriram Peruvemba to Oversee Worldwide Marketing May 8th, 2013
Microwave oven cooks up solar cell material: Nanocrystal semiconductor for photovoltaics, medical sensors, heat reuse May 6th, 2013
Cause of LED Efficiency Droop Finally Revealed: Researchers at UC Santa Barbara and École Polytechnique confirm that Auger recombination theory is responsible for LED droop phenomenon April 23rd, 2013
New research findings open door to zinc-oxide-based UV lasers, LED devices April 23rd, 2013
Govt.-Legislation/Regulation/Funding/Policy
Nanoparticle Delivers Large Protein Complex to Cancer Cell Nucleus May 20th, 2013
Protein 'Passport' Helps Nanoparticles Get Past Immune System May 20th, 2013
Nanoparticle Harnesses Powerful Radiation Therapy for Cancer May 20th, 2013
Researchers Perform Fastest Measurements Ever Made of Ion Channel Proteins May 20th, 2013
Discoveries
Rice unveils method for tailoring optical processors: Arranging nanoparticles in geometric patterns allows for control of light with light May 21st, 2013
Nanoparticle Delivers Large Protein Complex to Cancer Cell Nucleus May 20th, 2013
Protein 'Passport' Helps Nanoparticles Get Past Immune System May 20th, 2013
Researchers Perform Fastest Measurements Ever Made of Ion Channel Proteins May 20th, 2013
Announcements
Imec and GLOBALFOUNDRIES collaborate to advance high-density memory technology: STT-MRAM offers enhanced performance and scalability for embedded and standalone applications May 21st, 2013
International survey supports need for built-in water protection on smartphones and tablets May 21st, 2013
Rice unveils method for tailoring optical processors: Arranging nanoparticles in geometric patterns allows for control of light with light May 21st, 2013
Iran to Hold 1st Conference on Applications of Nanotechnology in Energy Industry May 21st, 2013
Grants/Awards/Scholarships/Gifts/Contests/Honors/Records
Beautiful "flowers" self-assemble in a beaker: Elaborate nanostructures blossom from a chemical reaction perfected at Harvard May 17th, 2013
Add boron for better batteries: Rice University theorists say graphene-boron mix shows promise for lithium-ion batteries May 17th, 2013
Nanotechnology Pioneer Named 'Entrepreneur of the Year': Royal Society of Chemistry honors Chad Mirkin for commercializing innovations May 10th, 2013
International Space Development Conference Highlights - Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Former President of India - Winner of the 2013 Wernher von Braun Memorial Award May 8th, 2013
Photonics/Optics/Lasers
Rice unveils method for tailoring optical processors: Arranging nanoparticles in geometric patterns allows for control of light with light May 21st, 2013
Moth-Inspired Nanostructures Take the Color Out of Thin Films May 17th, 2013
UC Riverside scientists discovering new uses for tiny carbon nanotubes: Adding ionic liquid to nanotube films could build smaller gadgets, and create more cost effective 'Smart Windows' that darken in bright sun May 15th, 2013
HELIOS Program Develops Complete Supply Chain for Integrating Photonics with CMOS Circuit via IC Fabrication Processes May 14th, 2013