A new display technology that dramatically increases resolution while consuming almost no power has emerged. Korean researchers have developed a "monopixel" structure that produces various colors from a single pixel, paving the way for sharper virtual reality (VR) displays without the burden of battery drain.
The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) announced Thursday that a research team led by Professor Song Young-min of the School of Electrical Engineering, in collaboration with Professor Jung Hyun-ho's team at the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), has developed a new monopixel technology called the "reconfigurable low-power reflective monopixel (r-GT)."
Pixels — the individual units that make up a display — have been shrinking to produce sharper images, but smaller pixels require greater power consumption. The r-GT pixel developed by the team changes color when voltage is applied, and the changed color is maintained for a set period even after the power is turned off, overcoming this limitation.
The key to the technology is polyaniline, a conductive polymer whose properties change when electricity is applied. This material reacts at voltages below 1 volt (V), changing its optical properties (refractive index) to produce different colors. The researchers combined this with a resonance structure that reflects light multiple times to intensify specific colors.
As a result, the team achieved a wide range of color variation with ultra-low power. Pixel size was reduced to as small as 1.5 micrometers (μm). The researchers confirmed that colors can be produced using up to 5.8 times less power compared to conventional LEDs. The technology is expected to be applied in various energy-efficiency-critical fields, including ultra-high-resolution near-eye displays for AR and VR, wearable devices, outdoor information displays, and electronic paper.
"If combined with display driving methods in the future, this technology could be used not only for ultra-high-resolution displays that are sharper and consume less power, but also for various optical technologies," Professor Song said.