JOEL WILLIAMS, ASSOCIATE EDITOR [email protected]A novel optical element will one day enable composite lenses and telescopes in a form factor small enough to fit in a pocket. The device, developed by Orad Reshef and Jeff Lundeen of the University of Ottawa, is called a spaceplate. Its function, say its developers, is to mimic the empty space needed to focus an image — meaning one day photographers will be able to take pictures of faraway subjects without lugging around a long-barrel telephoto lens. “A spaceplate is an optical element that propagates light for a distance that exceeds its thickness,” Lundeen told...Read full articleRelated content from Photonics MediaArticlesDefined Limits Help to Solidify Use of Spaceplates in Optical SystemsResearchers at Cornell University have proposed a definition for the fundamental and practical limits of spaceplates, a technology developed to support the miniaturization of optical systems....Photonics Spectra October 2022 IssueBirefringent Metasurface Aims to Transform Waveplate TechLawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) researchers have adapted their novel metasurface process, which creates a thin layer on the surface of an optic, to create an all-glass metasurface with...Photonics Spectra January 2024 IssueLight-Activated Biomimetic Gel Offers Potential for Corneal RepairTens of millions of people around the world suffer from corneal diseases, with only a small fraction eligible for corneal transplantation. 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