Optics, Lenses Technologies

By Jamie Oberdick

New research suggests that materials commonly overlooked in computer chip design actually play an important role in information processing, a discovery which could lead to faster and more efficient electronics. Using advanced imaging techniques, an international team led by Penn State researchers found that the material that a semiconductor chip device is built on, called the substrate, responds to changes in electricity much like the semiconductor on top of it.

By Maria R. Lucas

On a cold, sunny day, you’re driving on a rural road, surrounded by snow-covered fields. In an instant, your eyes process the scene, picking out individual objects to focus on — a stop sign, a barn — while the rest of the scene blurs in the periphery. Your brain stores the focused and blurred images as a memory that can be pictured in your mind later, while sitting at your desk.  

By Mariah R. Lucas

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Astronomers and amateurs alike know the bigger the telescope, the more powerful the imaging capability. To keep the power but streamline one of the bulkier components, a Penn State-led research team created the first ultrathin, compact metalens telescope capable of imaging far-away objects, including the moon.