Researchers have developed a new ultra-thin film that can create detailed 3D images viewable under normal illumination without any special reading devices. The images appear to float on top of the film and exhibit smooth parallax, which means they can be clearly viewed from all angles. With additional development, the new glass-free approach could be used as a visual security feature or incorporated into virtual or augmented reality devices.
The various views for the reconstructed 3D image (middle) are shown with their corresponding micropatterns, which are recorded in the imaging film. Credit: Su Shen, Soochow University in China "Our ultra-thin, integrated reflective imaging film creates an image that can be viewed from a wide range of angles and appears to have physical depth," said research team leader Su Shen from Soochow University in China. "It can be easily laminated to any surface as a tag or sticker or integrated into a transparent substrate, making it suitable for use as a security feature on banknotes or identity cards." In Optics Letters, the researchers describe their new imaging film. At just 25 microns thick, the film is about twice as thick as household plastic wrap. It uses a technology known as light-field imaging, which captures the direction and intensity of all rays of light within a scene to create a 3D image. "Achieving glass-free 3D imaging with a large field of view, smooth parallax and a wide, focusable depth range under natural viewing conditions is one of the most exciting challenges in optics," said Shen. "Our approach offers an innovative way to achieve vivid 3D images that cause no viewing discomfort or fatigue, are easy to see with the naked eye and are esthetically pleasing." Researchers developed an ultra-thin film that…