The Software Revolution Has Come for Optics
Software transformed electronics by making a single piece of hardware capable of performing countless different tasks. Researchers at the University of Stuttgart are now applying that same idea to optics with a programmable metasurface that can change how it manipulates light. Instead of manufacturing a separate optical component for every application, their prototype allows each optical pixel to be controlled independently, enabling the device to generate different holographic images on demand.
Traditional optical components rely on their shape and thickness to bend or focus light. Metasurfaces instead use arrays of nanoscale structures patterned onto a flat surface, giving engineers precise control over how light is reflected or transmitted. The team's new device builds on this concept by adding electronic control to each individual pixel, allowing its optical behavior to be updated in real time rather than being permanently fixed during manufacturing.
These holographic images are produced by a programmable metasurface...
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