This means the thin layer of integrated silicon photonics can emulate the lens and sensor of a digital camera. The OPA has a large selection of light receivers, each of which can individually integrate a firmly controlled time delay (or phase shift) to the light it receives, enabling the camera to selectively look in various directions and focus on a variety of things. Due to their position relative to one another, these emitters will work to amplify the signal in one direction and cancel each other out everywhere else, essentially creating a signal "laser beam". Instead of capturing a radio signal, through, Caltech's array is made up of several light sensors that activate at slightly different times, which not only allows the camera to focus, but also capture fish-eye and telephoto images. The OPA works with incoming signal (light), amplifying it in one direction while canceling out signals received by all elements across the array.
A similar principle is used in reverse in an optical phased array receiver, which is the basis for the new camera.
The OPA manipulates incoming light to capture an image just like a conventional lens, but does so using computing power. In that direction, the waves strengthen each other to produce a focused "gaze" that can be electronically regulated.
The resulting image has low resolution, but this system represents a proof-of-concept for a fundamental re-thinking of camera technology, said Hajimiri.
Currently, the images captured by the camera are a rather low resolution but it's an interesting proof of concept and improves on the team's research from a year ago where they created a one-dimensional version of the camera that was capable of detecting images in a line.
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"The applications are endless", says Graduate Student Behrooz Abiri (MS '12), Co-Author of the OSA paper.
This improvement in technology will make cameras truly flat. Bring on the age of paper-thin cell phones.
Scientists have now developed a 1x1 millimetre (0.03x0.03 inches) "lensless camera" computer chip that uses algorithms to capture images.
Moving from the very small to the very big, the 2D-camera could allow for massive, but very light and flat telescopes to be built on the ground or in space, allowing for a far better control than lensed telescopes today and dramatically reducing their maintenance and running costs.
In future the team plan to scale the camera and create larger, more sensitive light sensors to improve picture resolution. But researchers at Caltech have got a ideal solution to get rid of the camera lens which sticks out of the sleek backside of your smartphone.
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