The Beijing Institute of Technology and RMIT University have created tiny holograms that could revolutionize smartphones
Holograms have been part of our imagination since the dawn of science fiction. RMIT University and the Institute of Technology in Beijing, in fact, have created special nano-holograms that will bring 3D on all smartphones.
"These particular holograms, - explains Min Gu, who directed the project - are visible to the naked eye without the use of special glasses. They are called nano because they are very small, about 1000 times more than a human hair. Soon, according to the researchers who designed them, they will be used on smartphones and all technological devices with a screen. The reduced size could solve most of the problems had by holograms in recent times. Those generated until now were too large to perfectly fool the human mind and eye.
How they work
The nano-holograms are 25 nanometers in size and are coated with a special topological insulating material. Min, talking about the specifications of the holograms, explained, "They are fabricated using a direct laser writing system that is simple and fast, which makes our design suitable for large-scale uses and mass production." If the technology still reduces the size of holograms, they could soon be used on the screens of smartphones and devices with LCD displays. Holograms would be a huge revolution in the field of smartphones, and beyond. With the possibility of projecting images in 3D, in fact, the real size of the screen would become irrelevant. An aspect in total contrast to current smartphones where screens are constantly growing and are among the most important features for manufacturers and users. Min himself confirms this view: "3D holography has the potential to transform a wide range of industries, and this research of ours brings us one step closer to putting this revolution into practice.