Researchers use reduced graphene oxide electrodes to build a compact electrically tunable soft lens
Researchers at Queen Mary University of London have developed transparent electrodes using reduced graphene oxide for soft, electrically tunable lenses. This innovation allows electrodes to be placed directly on the optical path, overcoming previous design limitations that required opaque components around the lens periphery.
Why it matters
This advancement could lead to more compact and efficient adaptive optical devices, such as smart contact lenses or advanced camera systems.
Researchers at Queen Mary University of London, led by Prof. James Busfield, have developed transparent electrodes made of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) for dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs), enabling a new compact, electrically tunable soft lens. The work addresses a long-standing design constraint in electrostatically actuated lenses, where opaque compliant electrodes have to be placed around the lens periphery rather than on the optical path itself.
A photo of the fabricated DEA actuator (the rGO-coated membrane with circular electrodes). Image from: Advanced Functional Materials
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