Awesome! Is this a camera without a lens?

Engineers have invented a camera without any lens. They are trying to replace the curved mirror with a material with the same function, that is, ultra-thin optical phased array!

The researchers hope that this discovery will turn a large plane into an image collector.

In order to take perfect photos, cameras usually use various types of lenses. In digital cameras, lenses are usually used to focus light on digital sensors. The optical phased array has a set of optical receivers. When capturing light, add a one-minute delay (that is, phase shift), so that the camera can switch focus from different directions or image different objects.

"Like other events in life, timing is everything," said Ali Hajimiri of California Institute of Technology. "In our new system, you can choose the direction you need and observe a small part of the photo in front of you by controlling the millisecond precision time series in milliseconds."

Phased array imaging. Image source: Wikipedia

Lensless cameras are made of thin photosensitive silicon elements integrated on silicon wafers. Each photosensitive element in the array will receive light waves, and the light waves in one direction will be enhanced, and destructive interference will occur in other directions (the gas phase cancellation amplitude of the two light waves is equal to zero). In this direction, the light wave is amplified to form a "focused gaze", which can be controlled electronically.

Reza Fatemi, the lead researcher, said: "The function of the camera is similar to scanning through a thin tube in the whole field of vision. We can form images at a very fast speed by manipulating light instead of moving mechanical objects. "

Calm down the excitement first. The current version is only a conceptual proof. It consists of 64 light receivers arranged in an 8×8 pixel array, and the image it creates is different from the image currently captured by your smartphone.

Researchers hope that with the passage of time, the further optimization of this concept camera will shake the whole photography world.

"This kind of application is endless," said Behrooz Abiri, another member of the research team. "Even in today's smart phone, the camera will become a limitation for your mobile phone to develop thinner. Once upgraded, this technology will lead to the obsolescence of lenses and thicker mobile phones. "

Future research will focus on expanding the camera scale by designing chips, which will combine a large number of receivers to create higher resolution images and obtain higher sensitivity. Because this camera is so thin, it can even be used in some wonderful places, such as astronomy.

Hajimiri said: "This technology uses low-cost silicon photonics thin-layer electrons to control all the optical characteristics of the camera without any mechanical movement, lens or mirror. It's like opening up a new imaging world, which can look like wallpaper, blinds and even wearable fabrics. "

This study was published in the technical abstracts of OSA.

Tadpole staff compiled from sciencealert, translator, potato classmate. Authorized reprint.