PhD student and lead researcher Lei Wang says the team created complex holographic images in infrared with the invention that could be developed with industry.

“As a child, I learned about the concept of holographic imaging from the Star Wars movies. It’s really cool to be working on an invention that uses the principles of holography depicted in those movies,” says Mr Wang.

Holograms perform the most complex manipulations of light as they enable the storing and reproduction of all information carried by light in 3D.

“While research in holography plays an important role in the development of futuristic displays and augmented reality devices, today we are working on many other applications such as ultra-thin and light-weight optical devices for cameras and satellites,” says Mr Wang.

Mr Wang says the device could replace bulky components to miniaturise cameras and save costs in astronomical missions by reducing the size and weight of optical systems on space craft.

Co-lead researcher Dr Sergey Kruk says the device consisted of millions of tiny silicon pillars, each up to 500 times thinner than a human hair.

“This new material is transparent, which means it loses minimal energy from the light, and it also does complex manipulations with light,” says Dr Kruk.

“Our ability to structure materials at the nanoscale allows the device to achieve new optical properties that go beyond the properties of natural materials. The holograms that we made demonstrate the strong potential of this technology to be used in a range of applications.”

Part of the research was conducted in collaboration with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the United States and Nanjing University in China.

The research is supported by the Australian Research Council and is published in Optica.