The research team, which included scientists from Russia and Switzerland, has developed a versatile membrane that would allow to make visible to the human eye infrared rays. No special equipment or special conditions for application of membranes is not required.
Research conducted by the University ITMO, Alferov of the University and ETH of Zurich.
The press service of the ITMO note that ordinary laser light the human eye can see, for example, if you hold this beam on the notebook sheet. Infrared waves are longer and can see them in this way does not work, at some point the beam will simply burn the paper.
For the infrared range a few years ago they invented a special card from rare metals. They absorb infrared radiation and make it visible. But these cards are quite expensive, they have a limited life and they are suitable not for all devices. And infrared study is used in many industries. The ITMO University is that in high school there is more than a hundred installations with infrared rays.
And periodically situations arise when devices are tested, and, therefore, the beam must see. Tired of expensive cards with a short lifespan, international research group has created a special infrared Visualizer.
The development of filamentous nanocrystals of gallium phosphide. This material is interesting because of the fact that its crystal lattice is not symmetrical in the center, it can halve the wavelength. Due to this property nanocrystals of gallium phosphide are universal, they can work in a variety of spectra.
The researchers grew crystals on a substrate, filled them with a thin layer of polymer. Then the crystals were carefully separated from the substrate and formed a thin translucent film, it freely passes the infrared rays, and by reducing the wavelength, the beam becomes visible to the human eye.
It is also important that membrane, unlike cards, do not block the way of the beam. This simplifies the application of new material and can afford to make the diagnosis of complex equipment is more accurate.
A study published in the journal ACS Nano.
