Portable 3D holograms might be available within next 5 years

Holograms are a staple of science fiction movies, especially those set in the far future. But it turns out, we might not have to wait that long for them to become a reality.

 

Researchers from the Swinburne University of Technology have developed a technique that allows them to create 3D holograms using graphene oxide and lasers. According to them, these holograms can be seen even without wearing 3D glasses. 

 

The study was published in the journal Nature Communications.

 

Graphene is a two-dimensional carbon material with electronic and optical properties that make it useful as a key component for the display of wearable devices, where it’s used mainly for touch screens.

 

“Owing to its atomic layer thickness and high mechanical strength, the use of graphene in mobile display units for flat two-dimensional displays is burgeoning,” said Dr. Xiangping Li, one of the study leaders. “Our technology could also underpin future flexible and wearable display devices and transform them for 3D display.”

 

According to the scientists, continued research on graphene-based materials and nanotechnology will eventually lead to the creation of floating 3D displays.

 

To create these displays, a digital holographic screen made up of small pixels needs to be generated. These pixels bend light, which carries information for the display. The angle of bending is measured by the refractive index of the pixels, such that the larger the refractive index, the larger the bending angle.

 

Researchers project that the graphene 3D display will be available for wearable devices within five years.

 

Possible applications for the new technology include military devices, entertainment, remote education, and medicine.

 

The research was undertaken as a collaboration between the Swinburne University of Technology, the Beijing Institute of Technology, Griffith University, and Tsinghua University. — Bea Montenegro/TJD, GMA News