Research could spark ‘next generation’ screens

The researchers, from Nottingham Trent University, the Australian National University and the University of New South Wales Canberra in Australia, believe that their technology could enable screens and electronic devices to become thinner, offer higher resolution and be much more energy efficient.

They have engineered electrically tuneable arrays of nanoparticles called ‘metasurfaces’ which could offer significant benefits over current liquid crystal displays.

Today’s display market offers a large range of choices, but factors such as production costs, lifespan and energy consumption have kept liquid crystal technology the most popular for screens such as TV sets and monitors.

Liquid crystal cells are responsible for switching the transmitted light on and off and are lit by a backlight, with polarising filters in the front and behind the pixels. They determine the dimension of pixels – the resolution – and play a significant role in managing the device’s power consumption.