Scientists Invent Lens 5X Thinner than a Sheet of Paper

Scientists at Canada’s Universite Laval have invented a lens that is five times thinner than a piece of paper and can zoom without using mechanical parts. The lens is created by adding a small quantity of photosensitive material to a liquid crystal cell. When a weak electrical current is applied, the crystals realign differently from those in the periphery and thus take on the shape and behavior of a lens. The researchers have been able to modify the lens’ focal distance from 1.6 to 8 meters in a few milliseconds by increasing the voltage from 1.5 to 4.5 volts.

“There are several possible applications for such a lens. We believe one of its most promising developments could be in camera-embedded cell phones,” says Galstian. “Our opto-electrical zoom lens would be of much higher quality than the ones that currently equip these phones.”

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