According to the Register, a team of researchers directed by MIT came up with a remarkable kit piece. This piece may significantly boost the capacity and speed of current optical beam-forming tech. It may also make the technology easier to scale up.
If the team decides to hit the commercial space, their new kind of SLM or spatial light modulator may facilitate extremely speedy LiDAR imaging for vehicles that are autonomous. Aside from that, it can also make medical scanners better and assist in the creation of independent 3D holograms that may resemble that of Star Wars, as noted by the Register.
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Facilitating Beam Forming Technology Through Spatial Light Modulator Upgrades
According to MIT, this project took place for four years. Now, the study was just recently published in Nature.
The lead proponent of the study, Dr. Christopher Panuski, notes that their findings are a significant step forward in their pursuit of achieving full optical control across space and time for various applications that require light.
The team came up with an upgraded SLM. These devices regulate wavelengths of light beams to make various shapes and colors. One of the most basic examples of this device is the transparency sheet of the overhead projector.
Upgraded and more complex SLMs utilize 2D arrays for things such as virtual micromirrors and fluid crystals in order to adjust the colors of the light that passes through these things. However, they are still limited when it comes to the density of pixels and the bandwidth.
Thus, in order to bypass these limitations, the MIT research team decided to use an array or series of photonic crystal microcavities which they termed PhC-SLM. The researchers reportedly noted that the design they came up with had improved by ten times compared to other 2D SLMs.
The cavities within their new SLM capture light and keep it for 0.5 nanoseconds. This period is enough for tuning and manipulation of the cavity to take place. To make the SLM optimized, the researchers also came up with an algorithm so that they can map out the best option for creating a thin light beam.
Dr. Panuski mentioned that they wanted the light that was reflected from every captivity to be a centralized beam. They wanted this because this boosts the beam-directing functionality on the finishing device.
The PhC-SLM is maneuvered by a micro-LED array. Each cavity within the SLM is matched with one LED. These LEDs adjust the laser beams without the help of any wires.
All of these are done optically. Dr. Panuski notes that this implies that devices can be stationed closely without any losses in absorption.
Lifelike Holograms Can Potentially Be Created Using the Same Technology
While there is more to their discovery, the team notes that HD and high frame-rate holograms can be devised using this beam-forming kit technology. However, there are certain restrictions, such as the need for a back-reflector.
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