New chip can turn your cell phone into a projector Imagine giving a presentation that is projected on a conference room wall via your cell phone! Such a technology may be on its way, thanks to a new light-bending silicon chip developed by researchers. The light-bending silicon chip from at California Institute of Technology (Caltech) researchers acts as a lens-free projector and could one day end up in your cell phone. The new chip uses integrated optical phased array (OPA) to project the image electronically with only a single laser diode as light source and no mechanically moving parts. Ali Hajimiri and his colleagues were able to bypass traditional optics by manipulating the coherence of light - a property that allows the researchers to "bend" the light waves on the surface of the chip without lenses or the use of any mechanical movement.
A blog on current topics and exclusive articles.