Physicists from Stanford University and the University of Amsterdam have created the world's thinnest lens, made of tungsten disulfide (WS₂), measuring just 0.6 nanometers or three atoms thick.
Instead of using refraction, this flat lens focuses light through diffraction, relying on concentric rings etched onto its surface and quantum effects (excitons – electron movements that emit light when WS₂ absorbs light) within the material.
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The lens uses concentric rings on a flat film
(Photo: Guarneri et al., Nano Letters, 2024)
The lens is designed to focus red light at a distance of 1 millimeter away, and its focusing efficiency depends on the creation of excitons within the tungsten disulfide, which is enhanced at lower temperatures.
While it allows most light wavelengths to pass through unaffected, showing potential for applications in optical fiber communication and augmented reality glasses, it can also collect information without disturbing the view through it.
The researchers plan to conduct more experiments to better understand the behavior of excitons and further improve the lens, potentially with optical coatings, variations in electrical charge, or applying a voltage to change the refractive index, potentially enhancing the lens's efficiency and capabilities.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq
Sources: ScienceAlert, ScienceTimes, TRTHaber, Tehnika.Postimees, ElCorrreoGallego, and ImpactLab.