The core material of a new type of reflective screen of tungsten trioxide


A new design from Chalmers University of Technology could help produce e-readers, advertising signs, and other digital screens with optimal color display and minimal energy consumption

Imagine sitting call at the sun, reading a digital screen as thin as paper, but seeing an equivalent image quality as if you were indoors. because of research from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, it could soon be a reality. a replacement sort of reflective screen - sometimes described as 'electronic paper' - offers optimal color display, while using ambient light to stay energy consumption to a minimum.

Tungsten trioxide is that the core material during a new sort of reflective screen — sometimes described as “electronic paper” — that gives optimal color display and uses ambient light to stay energy consumption to a minimum. The new technology might be utilized in displays for smart devices. 

Traditional digital screens use a backlight to illuminate the text or images displayed upon them, which limits the power of the fabric they're displaying to be seen in bright sunshine. Reflective screens use ambient light, mimicking the way our eyes answer natural paper. 

The researchers, from Chalmers University, previously developed an ultrathin, flexible material that reproduced all the colors an LED screen can display, which required only a tenth of the energy that a typical tablet consumes. In previous studies, the researchers also used polymers. However, in their earlier design, the colors on the reflective screen didn't display with optimal quality. 

In the new study, the researchers used a porous and nanostructured material containing tungsten trioxide, gold, and platinum to realize the display. The technology within the reflective screens is predicated on the material’s ability to manage how light is absorbed and reflected. The researchers inverted the planning in such how that the colors appeared far more accurately on the screen. 

Specifically, they placed the component that creates the fabric electrically conductive underneath the pixelated nanostructure that reproduces the colors, rather than above it as was previously the case. the fabric that covers the surface conducts electronic signals throughout the screen and maybe patterned to make high-resolution images. 

In the new design, one looks directly at the pixelated surfaces, therefore seeing the colors far more clearly. 

In addition, to minimize energy consumption, reflective screens produce other advantages; they're much less tiring for the eyes compared to watching a daily screen, for instance. 

Certain rare metals like gold and platinum are required to form reflective screens, but because the ultimate product is so thin, the amounts needed are very small. Further, the researchers hope that it'll eventually be possible to significantly reduce the quantities needed for production.

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