Camera lenses go flat and skinny | The Register

Camera lenses go flat and skinny | The Register: "The researchers added a small amount of a light-sensitive monomer to the liquid crystal in a conventional electro-optic cell. When the liquid crystal is stimulated by a laser, the monomers are stimulated to form a polymer network, with a density proportional to the amount of light falling on the surface. This also affects the orientation of the liquid crystals, and the refractive index of the cell.

By precisely controlling the laser profile, the researchers are able to make the cell act like a lens. Varying the voltage across the lens, the researchers could change the focal length of the lens, because this alters its refractive index. By increasing the applied voltage from 1.5 to 4.5 volts, the team was able to vary the focal length by a factor of five."