Canadian Researchers Develop Ultra-Thin Camera Lens

Tigran Galstian and Vladimir Presnyakov of Laval University have developed a lens that is five times thinner than a piece of paper. Able to zoom in and out without using mechanical parts, the lens allows for movement of the focal point and can increase the clarity and detail of an enlarged picture.

According to the article:

The lens was created by adding a small amount of photosensitive material to a liquid crystal cell. When exposed to laser light, it forms a network of stable polymers varying in density according to the intensity of exposure.

"The network is like a spider web, with its center dense than its periphery," Galstian said. "When we apply a weak electrical current to it, the crystals in the center realign differently from those in the periphery and thus take on the shape and behavior of a lens."

The lens' focal point can be modified by changing the intensity and frequency of the electrical current.

"The reaction is very fast and doesn't involve any mobile parts or mechanical movements," Galstian said.