Schematic drawing of an atomically-thin lens (brown rings) on glass (blue) that effectively focuses light above the surface. The focusing mechanism can be turned on and off using a small electrical voltage. Image from the publication in Nature Photonics.
Schematic drawing of an atomically-thin lens (brown rings) on glass ( blue ) that effectively focuses light above the surface. The focusing mechanism can be turned on and off using a small electrical voltage. Image from the publication in Nature Photonics. A team of physicists from the universities of Stanford and Amsterdam, led by UvA-physicist Jorik van de Groep, have constructed a new type of lens, with a thickness of only a single layer of atoms, that can be turned on and off at will. Such tuneable optical elements have promising applications, for example in augmented and virtual reality. The results of the research were published in Nature Photonics this week. Lenses, like the ones in glasses or in telescopes, are usually rather big and bulky objects.
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