A team of researchers from Stanford University and the University of Amsterdam have created the world’s thinnest lens, measuring just three atoms thick. This breakthrough in lens technology surpasses the previous record set in 2016 with a 6.3-nanometer thick lens, demonstrating a significant advancement in the field.
The new lens is made of concentric circles of tungsten disulfide, which absorbs incoming red light and redirects it to a focal point located 1mm away from the lens’s surface. It works by generating excitons, which are short-lived quasiparticles that decay and emit light. The lens selectively focuses only red light, allowing other wavelengths to pass through unaffected.
Jorik van de Groep, an expert from the University of Amsterdam and a member of the research team, suggests that this lens could be beneficial for applications where the view is not altered but light can be harnessed to gather information. This makes it suitable for devices such as augmented reality (AR) glasses. The team plans to investigate further whether this technology can be used to create complex coatings activated by small electrical pulses for future endeavors.
Lenses have been essential in collecting, bending, and focusing light to magnify objects for better vision since their invention. Traditionally, lenses have been thick and heavy due to their material composition, especially when made of glass. To address this issue, Fresnel lenses were introduced in the 19th century, which utilize concentric circles of material to diffract light into a focused point while sacrificing some image clarity. However, with this latest breakthrough in lens technology by Jorik van de Groep and his team at Stanford University and the University of Amsterdam, we may see a new era in optical science that will revolutionize how we perceive our surroundings.
In summary, Jorik van de Groep and his team have successfully created the world’s thinnest lens using concentric circles of tungsten disulfide that selectively focuses only red light while allowing other wavelengths to pass through unaffected. This breakthrough surpasses previous records set in 2016 with a 6.3-nanometer thick lens and has significant implications for future endeavors in optical science.
The potential applications for this technology are vast and varied: from creating augmented reality glasses to developing medical imaging devices that can penetrate deep into biological tissue without harming healthy cells.
Furthermore, this new lens technology has enormous implications for space exploration as well as artificial intelligence research where visual perception plays an important role.
Overall, Jorik van de Groep’s work represents a significant advancement in optics science that opens up exciting possibilities for future discoveries and innovations.
