New “metalens” shifts focus without tilting or moving

February 22, 2021

Prof. JJ Hu and his colleagues have published a paper in Nature Communications, on a new kind of non-mechanical active lens that can zoom in and out, without requiring moving parts like traditional lenses. It does so by using an electric current to controllably change the reflecting properties of a phase-changing metasurface. This particular surface reflects in the infrared, and applications may be things like miniature infrared cameras and sensors that can fit on drones and lighter-weight goggles.