Researchers develop lens that focuses on all colors of the rainbow
Imagine the kind of lens that could focus on all the colors of the rainbow? It seems like Harvard researchers are working towards making this happen. According to a report published by Mashable, a team of experts from Harvard is currently in the process of developing a flat lens that could focus on all the colors of the rainbow.
If this turns out to be successful then it will be considered as being a signature departure from the traditional camera mechanics that exist today. Today’s camera lenses are curvy and bulky. They usually end up taking more space. But with the introduction of what Harvard researchers are trying to develop, the cameras could become sleeker.
Like most innovations, even this one has a catch. The researchers were successful at focusing on light with the help of these recently-developed lenses. They named it ‘metalens,’ since it was based upon small scales. It will take time for technology giants such as Apple and Samsung to come close to adopting such an innovation in their mainstream products.
This research has been published in Nature Nanotechnology journal on Monday, 1st January 2018. It is truly exciting to realize that this technology could one day allow cameras, phones, and even VR headsets to experience professionalism delivered by larger lenses, by taking up the significantly lesser amount of time. The camera makes use of curved lenses these days to capture all types of colors (long, short wavelengths, red, blue colors) at once. However, with this innovation, this will no longer be required.
“Metalenses have advantages over traditional lenses,” Harvard physicist Federico Capasso, the study’s senior author, said in a statement. “Metalenses are thin, easy to fabricate, and cost-effective. This breakthrough extends those advantages across the whole visible range of light. This is the next big step.”
