Nanodevice uses sound to sculpt light, paving the way for better displays and imaging | Stanford Report

Researchers have found a novel way to manipulate light at the nanometer scale. Potential applications include everything from ultrathin screens to optimized holographic VR headsets.

news.stanford.edu

TL;DR

Stanford engineers have built a tiny acousto-optical device that uses surface acoustic waves—basically ultrasonic ripples—to squeeze light down into nanogaps between gold nanoparticles and a gold mirror. A springy, nanometer-thin polymer layer toggles those gaps by a few atoms, wildly shifting the color and brightness of each nanoparticle “star.”

Because it’s so small, it’s super fast (think billions of vibrations per second) and way more practical than bulky, millimeter-scale acousto-optical gear. Imagine ultrathin video screens, lightweight holographic VR headsets, ultra-fast optical links—or even light-driven neural networks—all powered by these sound-sculpted beams.