Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 4, 2026
09:59
Fabrication of Flexible Image Sensor Based on Lateral NIPIN Phototransistors
Published on: June 23, 2018
8.1K
Transparent multispectral photodetectors mimicking the human visual system
Qitong Li1, Jorik van de Groep1, Yifei Wang1
1Geballe Laboratory for Advanced Materials, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Nature Communications
|November 3, 2019
Summary
Researchers developed transparent photodetectors using silicon nanowires (NWs). These devices harness a new optical resonance to eliminate reflections and enable spectro-polarimetric detection on transparent substrates for advanced optical technologies.
Area of Science:
- Optoelectronics
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Transparent optoelectronic devices are crucial for augmented reality and wearable technologies.
- Existing semiconductor nanowire (NW) photodetectors suffer from light scattering due to optical resonances.
- Imperceptible detection platforms on transparent substrates are highly desirable.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate a transparent photodetector concept utilizing silicon nanowires (NWs).
- To harness a novel optical resonance for reflection suppression and spectro-polarimetric detection.
- To enable optoelectronic devices and in situ optical measurements on transparent substrates.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of arrayed silicon nanowires (NWs) on transparent substrates.
- Exploitation of radiative coupling between NWs to generate a new optical resonance.
- Characterization of the photodetector's performance, including reflection suppression and spectro-polarimetric capabilities.
Main Results:
- A new optical resonance was observed due to radiative coupling in arrayed silicon NWs.
- The developed photodetector effectively suppressed reflections from dielectric interfaces.
- Spectro-polarimetric detection capabilities were achieved using the NW array.
Conclusions:
- The demonstrated transparent photodetector concept offers a promising platform for transparent optoelectronics.
- This technology enables imperceptible optical interfaces for augmented reality and sensing.
- The approach facilitates in situ optical measurement systems on transparent substrates.
Related Concept Videos
01:22Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways
8.6K
At the molecular level, visual signals trigger transformations in photopigment molecules, resulting in changes in the photoreceptor cell's membrane potential. The photon's energy level is denoted by its wavelength, with each specific wavelength of visible light associated with a distinct color. The spectral range of visible light, classified as electromagnetic radiation, spans from 380 to 720 nm. Electromagnetic radiation wavelengths exceeding 720 nm fall under the infrared category,...
8.6K
01:26Visual System
1.6K
Light enters the eye through the cornea, a transparent, dome-shaped surface covering the surface of the eyeball that helps to direct and focus incoming light. This light is then channeled toward the pupil, an adjustable opening whose size is controlled by the iris. The iris, a pigmented muscle, regulates the amount of light entering the eye by contracting or dilating the pupil, thereby ensuring optimal light levels for clear vision.
Once through the pupil, the light passes through the lens, a...
Once through the pupil, the light passes through the lens, a...
1.6K
01:20Anatomy of the Eyeball
9.3K
The eye is a spherical, hollow structure composed of three tissue layers. The outer layer — the fibrous tunic, comprises the sclera — a white structure — and the cornea, which is transparent. The sclera encompasses some of the ocular surface, most of which is not visible. However, the 'white of the eye' is distinctively visible in humans compared to other species. The cornea, a clear covering at the front of the eye, enables light penetration. The eye's middle...
9.3K
01:14UV–Vis Spectrometers
3.2K
The absorbance of UV and visible (UV–visible) radiations is measured using a UV–visible spectrophotometer. Deuterium lamps, which emit UV radiation, and tungsten lamps, which produce radiation in the visible region, are used as light sources in UV–visible spectrophotometers. A monochromator or prism is used for diffraction grating, i.e., to split the incoming radiation into different wavelengths. A system of slits is used to focus the desired wavelength on the sample cell.
3.2K
01:24Color Vision
1.3K
Color perception begins in the retina, the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye. Two main theories explain how colors are seen: the trichromatic theory and the opponent-process theory. The trichromatic theory, proposed by Thomas Young in 1802 and extended by Hermann von Helmholtz in 1852, suggests that color vision is based on three types of cone receptors in the retina. These cones are sensitive to different but overlapping ranges of wavelengths corresponding to red, blue, and green.
1.3K
01:32The Retina
74.0K
The retina is a layer of nervous tissue at the back of the eye that transduces light into neural signals. This process, called phototransduction, is carried out by rod and cone photoreceptor cells in the back of the retina.
74.0K