Samsung Develops Ultra-Thin Lenses for Smartphone Cameras

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Samsung has announced that it has developed a new class of metalenses for ultra-thin optical systems in collaboration with POSTECH University. The company does not like current lenses that protrude from the smooth bodies of smartphones. The new development will help to reduce camera optics and make them barely noticeable in smartphones.

Unlike conventional curved lenses, metalenses use nanoscale structures thinner than a human hair to manipulate light beams.

This method eliminates the need for tall and fragile nanostructures, making it possible to produce lenses that are stronger and lighter. As a result, the thickness of the camera modules was reduced by 20%, from 2 mm to 1.6 mm.

Using an infrared camera in XR devices allowed the research team to prove the potential of such integration. This camera provides reliable iris recognition and gaze tracking within a wide field of view – 120 degrees. In addition, image clarity was optimized by increasing the contrast ratio (MFR) from 50 to 72 percent.