CLEVELAND, Aug. 24, 2020 — An effort led by Federico Capasso of Harvard University and Giuseppe Strangi of Case Western Reserve University is using liquid crystals to improve the reconfigurability of metalenses. This advancement brings the viability of metalenses for commercial use closer to reality.

The researchers harnessed nanoscale forces to infiltrate liquid crystals between the microscopic pillars that allow metalenses to focus light. This allowed them to shape and diffract light in new ways, “tuning” the focus power, Strangi said.

For example, many proteins and cell membranes are liquid crystals. Other well-known examples of liquid crystals are solutions of soap and various related detergents, as well as the tobacco mosaic virus, and some clays.