15 March 2024 | Hongchen Chu, Xiang Xiong, Nicholas X. Fang, Feng Wu, Runqi Jia, Ruwen Peng, Mu Wang, Yun Lai
This study presents a novel approach to achieving transparent matte surfaces by utilizing disordered optical metasurfaces. The key innovation lies in the asymmetric diffusion of white light, which enables clear transparency while maintaining a matte appearance. By designing a random array of meta-atoms in asymmetric backgrounds, the researchers achieved highly asymmetric light diffusion, with significant diffusion in reflection and negligible diffusion in transmission across the entire visible spectrum. This unique property allows for the creation of transparent matte surfaces that can mimic traditional matte materials, as well as transparent displays with high clarity, full color, and one-way visibility.
The transparent matte surface (TMS) is constructed using a macroscopic metasurface with a random pattern of two meta-atoms. The design ensures that the phase difference in reflection is approximately π, while the phase difference in transmission is approximately 0 across the visible spectrum. This results in a highly asymmetric diffusion of light, enabling the TMS to maintain transparency even with low transmittance. The TMS has been experimentally demonstrated as a camouflaged window and camera, showing a matte appearance with clear transparency. It also enables transparent displays with full-color and one-way visibility, offering new possibilities for augmented reality applications.
The TMS design is advantageous for mass production through industrial lithography, making it suitable for practical applications. The study also highlights the potential of TMSs in various transparent devices, including windows, lenses, and screens. The results challenge the long-standing perception that matte materials cannot be transparent, demonstrating that TMSs can achieve almost perfect clarity while maintaining a matte appearance. This breakthrough opens new avenues for the development of transparent materials with unique optical properties.This study presents a novel approach to achieving transparent matte surfaces by utilizing disordered optical metasurfaces. The key innovation lies in the asymmetric diffusion of white light, which enables clear transparency while maintaining a matte appearance. By designing a random array of meta-atoms in asymmetric backgrounds, the researchers achieved highly asymmetric light diffusion, with significant diffusion in reflection and negligible diffusion in transmission across the entire visible spectrum. This unique property allows for the creation of transparent matte surfaces that can mimic traditional matte materials, as well as transparent displays with high clarity, full color, and one-way visibility.
The transparent matte surface (TMS) is constructed using a macroscopic metasurface with a random pattern of two meta-atoms. The design ensures that the phase difference in reflection is approximately π, while the phase difference in transmission is approximately 0 across the visible spectrum. This results in a highly asymmetric diffusion of light, enabling the TMS to maintain transparency even with low transmittance. The TMS has been experimentally demonstrated as a camouflaged window and camera, showing a matte appearance with clear transparency. It also enables transparent displays with full-color and one-way visibility, offering new possibilities for augmented reality applications.
The TMS design is advantageous for mass production through industrial lithography, making it suitable for practical applications. The study also highlights the potential of TMSs in various transparent devices, including windows, lenses, and screens. The results challenge the long-standing perception that matte materials cannot be transparent, demonstrating that TMSs can achieve almost perfect clarity while maintaining a matte appearance. This breakthrough opens new avenues for the development of transparent materials with unique optical properties.