XPANCEO Partners with Park Systems to Advance Smart Contact Lens Technology through 2D Materials Research
XPANCEO, a deep tech company developing the next generation of computing via smart contact lenses, has partnered with Park Systems, a leader in precision surface analysis and optical metrology. Utilizing Park Systems’ cutting-edge equipment, XPANCEO is exploring the potential of 2D materials to overcome key challenges in the development of this revolutionary technology.
Creating functional smart contact lenses involves addressing a number of complex challenges, including miniaturizing optical components, ensuring transparency while integrating electronics, and optimizing performance on a tiny, curved surface. Traditional approaches have struggled to solve these problems, but novel 2D materials have emerged as a game-changer.
2D materials are incredibly thin, consisting of a single layer of atoms. First discovered by A. Geim and K. Novoselov, whose work won them the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010, these materials are still relatively new and not fully understood. However, their unique optical properties hold immense promise for advancing optoelectronics.
2D materials possess several key properties that make them highly valuable for smart contact lenses. Their high refractive indices allow them to control and direct light more efficiently than traditional materials, enabling the miniaturization of optical components. Additionally, their transparency allows the development of transparent, conductive electronics, which is essential for integrating optoelectronic circuits into smart contact lenses. Finally, their anisotropy provides precise control of the direction of light, making these materials ideal for creating efficient, compact optical systems.
Moreover, 2D materials enable the creation of specialized nanoparticles that can be embedded into smart contact lenses to manipulate light in novel ways. For instance, nanoparticles could enable night vision, color correction for color blindness, or adaptive zoom capabilities.
In addition, Park Systems EP4 allows XPANCEO to investigate new fundamental physics, such as the recently discovered optical axis rotation effect in advanced optical materials, as featured in Nature Communications. Using Park Systems‘ advanced technology, XPANCEO can measure the optical properties of low-dimensional materials with remarkable precision.
Park Systems’ EP4 combines ellipsometry and microscopy to precisely characterize the thickness and refractive index of micro-structures as small as 1 µm. Unlike conventional ellipsometers, all structures within the field of view are measured simultaneously. The EP4 provides an ellipsometric contrast live view that allows detection of sub-nm features and identification of regions of interest to obtain values and 3D maps of thickness (0.1 nm - 10 µm) and refractive index. Additional accessories are available to extend measurements under controlled conditions or temperature changes.
This collaboration between XPANCEO and Park Systems has the potential to revolutionize smart contact lens technology by leveraging the unique characteristics of 2D materials to solve long-standing challenges in size, transparency, and control. Together, they are paving the way for breakthroughs in healthcare, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence.
