This film was developed by researchers in Australia and Europe and works by converting infrared light into light visible to the human eye

Last modified on Friday, June 18, 2021 02.11 EDT

A transparent metal film that allows the audience to see in the dark can one day turn ordinary glasses into a night vision device.

Scientists say that this ultra-thin film made of a semiconductor called gallium arsenide can also be used to develop compact and flexible infrared sensors.

Although still a proof of concept, the researchers believe that it can eventually become a cheap, lightweight alternative to replace bulky night vision goggles for military, police, and security environments.

The film was developed by a team of Australian and European researchers, and the details were published in the journal Advanced Photonics. Its working principle is to convert infrared light, which is usually invisible to humans, into light visible to human eyes.

The lead author of the study, Dr. Rocio Camacho Morales of the Australian National University, said that this material is hundreds of times thinner than a human hair.

Gallium arsenide is arranged in a crystal structure only a few hundred nanometers thick, which allows visible light to pass through it.

This movie has certain similarities with night vision goggles.

Camacho Morales said: "The way these night vision goggles work [is] they also receive infrared light." "This infrared light is converted into electrons and displayed [digitally]. As far as we are concerned, we would not do that. "

On the contrary, the thin film changes the energy of the photons passing through it. In the so-called nonlinear optical process, a small laser is required to irradiate along the thin film.

One possible advantage of this movie compared to existing technology is weight: for example, the bulky helmet-mounted night vision goggles have previously been associated with neck pain in Air Force pilots.

Camacho Morales said that the photon energy of infrared light is very low, which means that electronic night vision devices will be affected by random fluctuations in the signal. In order to minimize these fluctuations, many infrared imaging devices use cooling systems, sometimes requiring low temperatures.

The advantage of nano film is that it can work at room temperature. "We avoided the problem of having to cool the camera and display equipment," Camacho Morales said.

She said that if a person wears glasses with this kind of film during the day, they can still see what is usually visible to the naked eye. "The most important thing is that you will see some infrared information."

The glasses need to be equipped with a laser pointer powered by a small battery.

Gallium arsenide is a common semiconductor that has been used in transistors and solar cells for decades.

This story was modified on June 18 to clarify that the process requires a powered laser