Researchers at Australia’s Swinburn University of Technology have devised a new technique using graphene to create a three-dimensional pop-up floating display like the fictional hologram technology featured in films such as Star Wars and Avatar.Īt the centre of the new technique is graphene, a single-atom-thick carbon material derived from graphite, which is emerging as a wonder substance for a whole range of technology, including high-energy batteries, 3D printing, electronic circuits, and photovoltaic cells. It is currently being employed by research teams around the world for its remarkable conductivity, strength, insulation, and weight properties - all of which outperform the closest material competitors by enormous degrees, according to researchers. The Swinburn University of Technology researchers were able to develop a process without involving heat or temperature changes to create nanoscale pixels of refractive index - the measure of the bending of light as it passes through a medium - made of reduced graphene oxide. This is crucial for the subsequent recording of the individual pixels for holograms and naked-eye 3D viewing, according to the researchers. “If you can change the refractive index, you can create lots of optical effects,” said director of Swinburne’s Centre for Micro-Photonics professor Min Gu. “Our technique can be leveraged to achieve compact and versatile optical components for controlling light.

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