Matte surfaces with broadband transparency enabled by highly asymmetric diffusion of white light

Matte surfaces with broadband transparency enabled by highly asymmetric diffusion of white light

15 March 2024 | Hongchen Chu, Xiang Xiong, Nicholas X. Fang, Feng Wu, Runqi Jia, Ruwen Peng, Mu Wang, Yun Lai
The paper presents a novel approach to achieving transparent matte surfaces by leveraging disordered optical metasurfaces. Traditional matte materials, which are often used to reduce glare, do not allow for optical transparency. However, the researchers have created transparent matte surfaces that maintain clear transparency regardless of the strength of disordered light scattering or their matte appearances. This is achieved through the construction of a random array of meta-atoms with asymmetric backgrounds, which result in highly asymmetric light diffusion. The metasurfaces exhibit substantial diffusion in reflection and negligible diffusion in transmission across the entire visible spectrum. The team has fabricated macroscopic samples of these metasurfaces using industrial lithography, demonstrating transparent windows that blend in with traditional matte materials and transparent displays with high clarity, full color, and one-way visibility. The work opens new possibilities in the design of transparent devices, including windows, lenses, and screens, and addresses the long-standing paradox between matte appearance and transparency.The paper presents a novel approach to achieving transparent matte surfaces by leveraging disordered optical metasurfaces. Traditional matte materials, which are often used to reduce glare, do not allow for optical transparency. However, the researchers have created transparent matte surfaces that maintain clear transparency regardless of the strength of disordered light scattering or their matte appearances. This is achieved through the construction of a random array of meta-atoms with asymmetric backgrounds, which result in highly asymmetric light diffusion. The metasurfaces exhibit substantial diffusion in reflection and negligible diffusion in transmission across the entire visible spectrum. The team has fabricated macroscopic samples of these metasurfaces using industrial lithography, demonstrating transparent windows that blend in with traditional matte materials and transparent displays with high clarity, full color, and one-way visibility. The work opens new possibilities in the design of transparent devices, including windows, lenses, and screens, and addresses the long-standing paradox between matte appearance and transparency.
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[slides and audio] Matte surfaces with broadband transparency enabled by highly asymmetric diffusion of white light