MIT engineers recently designed a tunable “metalens” that can zero in on objects at multiple depths. The lens, constructed from a transparent “phase-changing” material capable of rearranging its atomic structure after heating, is capable of transforming how its material interacts with light.

The invention is a breakthrough in the field of photonics. Traditionally, changing the focus of a microscope or telescope to see at multiple scales meant having to physically move the lens, which required extra mechanical parts. However, metalens don’t need to be moved to change focus