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Upcoming virtual reality (VR) headsets may employ a novel kind of lens modeled after holographic systems, according to Chinese researchers. This envisioned new type of bifocal lens is capable of shifting between two points of focus with the press of a button, permitting those who wear them to experience variations in lens intensities in a way that is comparable to a hologram.
These lenses would be composed of a pair of liquid crystal construction layers which have the ability to alternate between two focal points using applied voltage. The investigators shared the specifics of their discoveries in a recent paper that was featured on Oct. 1 in Optics Letters, a journal.
The team stated that, along with upcoming mixed-reality and VR headsets, the technology has potential use in visual devices, computational optics and optical connection.
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They can be implemented in polarization imaging — usually employed in boosting the contrast of images or for boundary imagining, which stresses object outlines or reveals finer features. Light’s third dimension can be described as polarization, where specialized cameras can often discern physical characteristics that are unseen through traditional visual methods.
“We are convinced that the light modulation method we created using the multilayer arrangement could also have applications for creating other optical equipment, which can include holographic instruments and beam generators, or in optical image processing,” said study leading author Fan Fan, who also serves as professor of physics and electronics at Hunan University, in an official statement.
Researchers have created a bifocal lens that depends on a pair of liquid crystal (LC) structures. By providing external voltage, the intensities for the two focal lengths are easily adjustable.
The team chose to work on bilayered structures, instead of single-layer structures that are typically found in the majority of liquid-crystal gadgets. These structures were built using a liquid crystal cell coupled with a liquid crystal polymer, materials commonly employed when creating lenses for applications in holographic imaging. By using both materials, the team were capable of modifying the intensity of the two foci. The impetus for this was the development of multi-purpose holographic equipment but the technology may be used “beyond the holographic displays domain,” per Fan.
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Although some bifocal lenses can make various focal points depending on the incoming light’s polarization, this new design allows the focus to switch on demand, while manipulating the polarization condition of the output beams. Additionally, the liquid crystal layer allows the lenses to rapidly alternate between focus locations when applying voltage.
The researchers intend to incorporate the novel lenses into a variety of diverse multifunctional devices. However, they stated that in order for the optical parts found in this technology to be more practical, the costs associated with mass producing the parts will need to become lower. According to the team, if this comes to fruition, they will have the ability to create and integrate layer-to-layer alignment technology that is both fast and precise, as indicated in their statement.
Andrea Saravia Pérez
Andrea functions as a journalist, founder, and a writer with diverse skills in multimedia. She holds a powerful desire to get at the truth, she takes pleasure in dissecting the overlap of technology with storytelling, this passion drives her specialty in virtual and mixed reality breakthroughs, sustainable technologies, and the ways contemporary artists use science and engineering in their work. Her pieces are available through DBLTAP, Cheat Code Central, Contxt, Shift: A Literary Journal, and Chomp.
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