South Korea POSTECH has successfully accelerated the manufacturing process of Metamaterial, which is more than 100 times faster than traditional electron beam lithography (EBL). This new nanomaterial not only has high plasticity, but also retains the optical characteristics originally suitable for production. Combined with large-scale nano-printing technology, it can achieve single-step molding.
As a new academic vocabulary in the field of physics in this century, metamaterials have often appeared in various scientific documents in recent years. For the term "Metamaterial", there is not yet a strict and authoritative definition, and the definitions given in various documents are also different. Generally, “Metamaterial” is considered to be “artificial composite structure or composite material with extraordinary physical properties that natural materials do not have”.
Before that, it was not easy to develop "Metamaterial". Artificial atoms had to be precisely constructed and arranged. Only through electron beam lithography (EBL), it was time-consuming and very expensive, which was not conducive to "Metamaterial". Commercialization.
Based on this latest research result, the Pohang University of Technology research team has successfully printed a super lens, which is 100 times thinner than hair, and can be used to produce VR/AR lenses in the future. According to Junsuk Rho, professor of mechanical and chemical engineering at Pohang University of Technology, the super-ying lens can significantly reduce the weight of VR/AR lenses.
Not only that, Junsuk Rho also believes that their research results can also be applied to invisibility cloaks and flexible wearable devices, such as the magic invisibility cloak in "Harry Potter". Using "Metamaterial", a "magic cloak" that can achieve the effect of "invisibility" can be made to a certain extent. At present, scientists have used such materials to make invisible materials that can be invisible in a small range of microwaves, but they are Very limited.
Of course, with the current level of development of "Metamaterial", it is still far from creating a cloak of practical value. The process of moving from science fiction to reality is complex, requiring a series of processes such as technical research, material search, manufacturing equipment, verification effects, cooperation, and practical application. However, all of this is not impossible with hard exploration and innovative practice.