Samsung Electronics and Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) have developed a new approach to making ultra-thin metalenses, detailed in a study published in Nature Communications. Metalenses are flat optical lenses that use nanostructures to control light, making them lighter and thinner than traditional curved lenses.
The team introduced a method that achieves the required light phase delay using two-thirds of a wavelength instead of a full wavelength. This allowed them to lower the height of the nanostructures and reduce their aspect ratio from 1:10 to about 1:5, making them easier to manufacture and more stable without losing optical performance.
Using this design, they created an infrared eye camera for extended reality devices, reducing its thickness from 2.0 mm to 1.6 mm while improving image quality. The approach could help reduce smartphone camera protrusion and make various imaging systems more compact, offering a pathway toward wider commercialization of metalenses.
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