In sci-fi films, holograms have become a reality. Many people would want to have holograms, but the technology so far today has not yet achieved this. A new invention though holds promise, and sci-fi holograms are mow much more likely.
A tiny device has been invented by physicists from the Australian National University (ANU) that could create high quality holographic images. Lead researcher Lei Wang has said that the device uses infrared in order to create the holographic images. Holograms can be complex since the images stored have to be rendered in 3D as opposed to regular images which are only in 2D.
Making holographic devices today is also much easier, as technology has made imaging devices much lighter and smaller compared to the same devices in the past. Cameras can now be small and compact, and many cameras are now incorporated into smartphones as well. Cost for making imaging devices has also gone down, which makes the possibility of making holographic devices more likely.
The device invented is made up of millions of silicon pillars. This has made the device very small and 500 times much thinner than hair. The material used is also transparent, which means little energy is lost, as explained by co-author Dr. Sergey Kruk.
The device is small that it could be used for many applications, according to the Australian National University's site. With such size, the device could perform much better than other devices. Design and fabrication of the device has been done by Dr. Kruk.
There is much potential for the device, as Science Daily reports. It could be used in space exploration as well as presentations. Communication using holographic images could also be done with the device. What has been done in sci-fi films would not be far off if the device should be made commercially.
Much of sci-fi has given science inspiration to make technology. Making holograms is one of them. Si-fi holograms are now much more likely with the invention of a new device. Scientists are also hunting for dark matter using magnets.
