POSTECH and Samsung Electronics Develop World’s First Metasurface Lens Display
Wider Viewing Angle Allows Simultaneous Viewing by Many… No Special Glasses Needed
Can Switch to High-Quality 2D Screen for ‘Document Reading’ Mode,
Concept of a ‘display using metasurface lens’, which allows switching between high-resolution 2D images and 3D stereoscopic images on a smartphone screen. When voltage is applied, 3D images appear, and when it stops, 2D images are shown. Provided by POSTECH and Samsung Electronics
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Metasurface lens developed by POSTECH and Samsung Electronics (left) and a microscopic view of the nanomaterials on the surface of the metasurface lens (right). Provided by POSTECH and Samsung Electronics,
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, ‘A domestic research team has developed a world-first technology that allows you to freely switch between 3D and 2D screens on a smartphone. While watching a 3D video, you can switch to a 2D screen suitable for reading documents with the push of a button. There is no need for special glasses to view 3D screens, raising expectations that it will be the starting point of next-generation displays.’,
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, ‘The Ministry of Science and ICT announced on the 22nd that Professor Joonseok Noh’s research team at POSTECH and Samsung Electronics’ Visual Technology Team developed a display technology using ‘metasurface lens’ that can freely realize 3D and 2D displays on smartphones. The research results were published in the April 23rd issue of the international journal ‘Nature’.’,
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, ‘A metasurface lens is an optical component that precisely controls light movement by arranging billions of tiny artificial objects, approximately 100 nm (1 nm is one billionth of a meter) in size, on a substrate. The total thickness of the metasurface lens developed by the research team is 1.2 mm, and both width and height are 5 cm. Its thin and square shape, similar to a patch or sticker, allows easy insertion into a smartphone.’,
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, ‘With current technology, viewing 3D screens on smartphones usually requires special glasses. While there is technology to provide a 3D effect without glasses, the viewing angle is limited to 15 degrees, meaning you must watch from directly in front, allowing only one person to enjoy the video. Furthermore, converting to a 2D screen for tasks like reading documents after viewing 3D screens results in a significant loss of image quality.’,
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, ‘The metasurface lens solves these problems. The key element was voltage. When voltage was applied, the metasurface lens exhibited convex lens properties, which allowed the implementation of 3D screens on smartphones where the viewing angle reached 100 degrees. This is more than six times the viewing angle of 3D screens made with existing technology, enabling about three people to sit side by side and watch 3D videos.’,
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, ‘When the voltage to the metasurface lens was cut off, concave lens characteristics appeared, allowing users to see high-resolution 2D screens without distortion. This enables scenarios like watching a 3D movie on a smartphone during lunch break, and then reading reports in clear quality after resuming work.’,
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, ‘It is noteworthy that the price per metasurface lens is 5,000 won. When the research team first introduced the metasurface lens in 2019, the price was a hefty 5 million won. Thanks to technological advancements, the unit price has significantly decreased. Professor Noh, through another paper published in Nature last week with researchers from Sungkyunkwan University, announced technology for mass production of metasurface lenses, raising expectations for commercial use in the future.’,
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, ‘Regarding this research, Professor Noh stated: “This result demonstrates that ultra-thin nanoscale optical components, known as metasurface lenses, can be the next-generation display. It can be applied not only to smartphones but also to outdoor advertising boards, among others.”‘,