Technology is reaching the sky; the researchers have now come up with an interesting adaptive liquid lens using new electrically responsive fluid – diputyl adipate (DBA) which changes focal length when voltage passes through it.
In the Optica Publish Group Journal, Optic Letters, the researchers mention about their new findings DBA adaptive liquid lens that weighs just few grams and exhibits high performance with excellent stability. During the process, DBA’s electronegative molecular structure provides the voltage application which rapidly changes the shape of the lens to modify the focal length.
The DBA is inexpensive, transparent, and not volatile, which makes it ideal for use in adaptive liquid lenses.
Mr. Xu says, the conventional lens systems will one day be taken over by this type of adaptive liquid lens. The mobile phone camera lens will be as thin as the phone if this kind of adaptive lens is used.
Liquid to Lens Process
The research says, filling the electrode with DBA liquid can give us new liquid lens. This process takes the form of dome shape as the inner surface of the electrode has a coating of water repelling layer. While applying direct current to the electrode make the DBA molecule to accumulate anode, change the dome shape depending on the voltage, thus altering the focal length.
The DBA lens offers better performance over adaptive liquid lenses, using electro wetting. Further, the DBA is not subject to volatization or electrolysis as it contacts the electrode, not the insulating layer.
Although, they perform well, the researchers continue to work on making new lenses more practical by finding out the ways to reduce the voltage needs to drive the DBA liquid lens.
