West LA Times

Researchers at the California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA have made a significant breakthrough in optical computing technology that could revolutionize the field of visual information processing. The team has developed a transparent device that operates under low-power ambient light, offering nonlinear operation essential for processing visual information efficiently.

In a study published in Nature Communications, Aydogan Ozcan, the Volgenau Professor of Engineering Innovation at UCLA, expressed the significance of this advancement, stating, “Optical nonlinearities are far behind what we need for visual computing applications. We need low-power, broadband, low-loss, and fast nonlinearities for optical systems to meet our visual computing needs. This work helps fill that gap.”

The device, invented by the UCLA team, consists of a tiny array of transparent pixels that can produce a fast, broadband, nonlinear response from low-power ambient light. One of the applications demonstrated by the researchers involves combining this technology with a smartphone camera to reduce glare in images. Ozcan highlighted the potential of this technology, stating, “An inexpensive device measuring a couple of centimeters could make a low-powered camera work like a super-resolution camera. That would democratize access to high-resolution imaging and sensing.”

The device, which is a transparent plane measuring 1 cm square, utilizes a 2D semiconductor material developed by Xiangfeng Duan, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry at UCLA. Each pixel in the device can change from completely transparent to opaque with just a small number of photons, allowing for efficient processing of incoming photons without the need for conversion to a digital signal.

The research, made possible by the Elman Family Foundation Innovation Fund at the CNSI, brought together a team of researchers, including postdoctoral researcher Dehui Zhang, doctoral students, and other faculty members from UCLA. Xiangfeng Duan emphasized the collaborative nature of the project, stating, “This unique opportunity led to a very, very exciting collaboration. It’s really a blast to think outside of our comfort zones. It showed me that, as a material developer, I can benefit from going beyond a fundamental study or proof of concept to explore applications.”

The study, partly supported by the Office of Naval Research, paves the way for a new era of optical computing technology that could have applications in various industries, including improved sensing for autonomous vehicles, image encryption, and high-resolution imaging. As Duan noted, “We hope to continue down this road. This is just the beginning. There’s certainly a lot more to do.”