For centuries, lenses have worked the same way: curved glass or plastic bending light to bring images into focus. But traditional lenses have a major drawback—the more powerful they need to be, the bulkier and heavier they become. Scientists have long searched for a way to reduce the weight of lenses without sacrificing functionality.

And while some slimmer alternatives exist, they tend to be limited in their capacity and are generally challenging and expensive to make.

New research from University of Utah engineering professor Rajesh Menon and colleagues at the Price College of Engineering offers a promising solution applicable to telescopes and astrophotography: a large aperture flat lens that focuses light as effectively as traditional curved lenses while preserving accurate color. This technology could transform astrophotography imaging systems, especially in applications where space is at a premium, such as on aircraft, satellites and space-based telescopes.

Their latest study, featured on the cover of the journal Applied Physics Letters, was led by Menon Lab member Apratim Majumder, a research assistant professor in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering. Coauthors include fellow Menon Lab members Alexander Ingold and Monjurul Meem, Department of Physics & Astronomy’s Tanner Obray and Paul Ricketts, and Nicole Brimhall of Oblate Optics.

If you’ve ever used a magnifying glass, you know that lenses bend light to make objects appear larger. The thicker and heavier the lens, the more it bends the light, and the stronger the magnification. For everyday cameras and backyard telescopes, lens thickness isn’t a huge problem. But when telescopes must focus light from galaxies millions of light-years away, the bulk of their lenses become impractical. That’s why observatory and space-based telescopes rely on massive, curved mirrors instead to achieve the same light-bending effect since they can be made much thinner and lighter than lenses.

Read the full story by Lexi Hall — intern, College of Engineering