The future is definitely here. Your regular glasses may now have night-vision ability, without the extra weight, thanks to science. Aussie scientists were able to design nano crystals which can be used to create night-vision glasses, which fit right into your regular glasses.
Dr Mohsen Rahmani, one of the researchers, said: "Current night vision glasses are a combination of optics and electronics. They receive the near-infrared spectrum, which is not visible, and convert photons to electricity. These semi-conductor nano-crystals can transfer the highest intensity of light and engineer complex light beams that could be used with a laser to project a holographic image in modern displays."
Nano Crystals Are Extremely Tiny, 500 Times Smaller Than Human Hair
Scientists from the Australian National University announced Wednesday that they were able to design a nano crystal, around 500 times smaller than a human hair, that turns darkness into visible light. This design replaces the bulky, traditional-type, night-vision goggles.
Professor Neshev from the Nonlinear Physics Centre within the ANU Research School of Physics and Engineering said: "The nano crystals are so small they could be fitted as an ultra-thin film to normal eye glasses to enable night vision. This tiny device could have other exciting uses including in anti-counterfeit devices in bank notes, imaging cells for medical applications and holograms."
The Design Culminates More Than 15 Years Of Research
ANU's decision to make the night-vision design on glass is a huge milestone in the field of nanophotonics - the study of the behavior of light. This is research is far from being a walk in the park. This culminates 15 years of research, so one can just imagine how difficult this task is. This breakthrough offers very exciting uses for anti-counterfeit devices in bank notes, imaging cells for medical applications and holograms, to name a few.
