Scientists design new lens with dual function set to revolutionise optical devices

Scientists at the University of Birmingham have designed a lens using metamaterials that can function as a convex or a concave lens, according to research published today (13 November 2012) . By fabricating gold nano-rods on the glass, this new lens can magnify or demagnify objects, just by switching the polarisation of the light source. The lens has an aperture of 80 micrometers - roughly the size of the cross-section of human hair - and a focal length of 60 micrometers. Lenses are the key part of imaging systems such as telescopes, microscopes and cameras and are widely used in industry to manufacture silicon chips. A lens is an important optical component, the core of most optical devices, used in cameras, medical imaging, astronomy, optical lithography and integrated circuits. The key to designing a conventional lens, which is usually manufactured out of glass or another transparent material, is to make a curved surface. These lenses are either convex - converging light, which magnifies an object, or concave, where light diverges making an object smaller.