Technology
'Night vision lenses' could give you power to see in the dark using simple eyeglasses
One day we could have everyday eyewear with night vision, thanks to an ultra-thin material that can capture infrared and visible light at the same time.
In a new study published May 23 in Advanced Materials, researchers in Australia have found that by using "metasurface-based up-conversion Technology", you can create a night vision effect without the need for bulky light-processing and cryogenic cooling components.
"These results promise significant opportunities for the surveillance, autonomous navigation, and biological imaging industries, amongst others," chief investigator Dragomir Neshev from the Australian Research Council’s Centre of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems (TMOS) said in a statement. "Decreasing the size, weight and power requirements of night vision Technology is an example of how meta-optics, and the work TMOS is doing, is crucial to Industry 4.0 and the future extreme miniaturisation of Technology."
Related: Meta just stuck its AI somewhere you didn't expect it — a pair of Ray-Ban smart glasses
Traditional night-vision goggles work by visible light or infrared photons passing through a lens into an electronic image-intensifier tube consisting of a photocathode and a microchannel plate. The photocathode turns the photons into electrons, and these electrons then hit the microchannel plate, which has millions of holes that amplify their number. The electrons then interact with a phosphor-coated screen and exhibit a green glow, illuminating the scene that the wearer is viewing.
The researchers explained that this current setup poses challenges due to its large size for a head-mounted device, thermal noise and the inability to augment infrared and visible imaging.
However, by using an "ultra-compact, high-quality-factor lithium niobate resonant metasurface" — a very thin photonic device that can modulate the behavior of electromagnetic waves — the researchers boosted the energy of the infrared photons, increasing their frequency so as to bring their wavelengths within the visual spectrum.
-
Technology3h ago
Breaking up Google? What a Chrome sell-off could mean for the digital world | The Express Tribune
-
Technology17h ago
AI harm is often behind the scenes and builds over time – a legal scholar explains how the law can adapt to respond
-
Technology19h ago
Newborn planet found orbiting young star, defying planet formation timeline | The Express Tribune
-
Technology23h ago
Awkwardness can hit in any social situation – here are a philosopher’s 5 strategies to navigate it with grace
-
Technology23h ago
No need to overload your cranberry sauce with sugar this holiday season − a food scientist explains how to cook with fewer added sweeteners
-
Technology1d ago
Teslas are deadliest road vehicles despite safety features: study | The Express Tribune
-
Technology1d ago
There Is a Solution to AI’s Existential Risk Problem
-
Technology1d ago
US pushes to break up Google, calls for Chrome sell-off in major antitrust move | The Express Tribune