Ultrathin Microlenses Could Boost Space Science and Tech

"These flat lenses will help us to make more-compact and robust imaging assemblies," Mahmood Bagheri, a microdevices engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, said in a statement. Typical lenses, such as those used in eyeglasses or magnifying glasses, rely on curvature to bend and focus light. The new flat lenses can manipulate light in ways that are nearly impossible for conventional lenses, and they take up less space, allowing for smaller electronics.