MIT develops nanoparticles and lasers, transparent projection screens

Researchers at MIT have developed a technology using silver nanoparticles, transparent projection screens are to build. According to the researchers, these are cheap to produce and provides the displaytechniek good viewing angles.

The researchers mixten the 62nm silver nanoparticles with polyvinyl alcohol, a synthetic polymer, that a good film can be formed. This mix was on a glass plate made and had a thickness of only 0,46 mm. The corresponding silver nanoparticles are only sensitive to a very specific wavelength and reflect only a certain colour of light, and remains, the glass is further transparent. By a targeted laser to fire on the glass could be the silver particles be encouraged and it is possible to see images on the glass screen.

Although the researchers with the silver nanoparticles in the prototype only a blue color could recall, with the help of other nanoparticles are also red and green called. With these three primary colors are then full color projections possible, although such a display in a following step still has to be built.

The system developed is according to the developers cheap to build – the material for the prototype would be only $ 10 have cost – and is very well scalable. Also, it offers in contrast to some conventional Dutch design week better viewing angles and a high resolution. A potential disadvantage is the required laser projection, allowing the technology is not yet suitable for applications such as Google Glass, but the technology could be used for heads-up displays on the windshield of a car or for advertising purposes in a shop window. The researchers even think that complete skyscrapers to large displays transformed in all of the windows have a transparent foil to paste.