Flatter than a pancake

On MJ's blog today there was an article about new optical research coming out of UCSD. The result was a device that is as flat as a real pancake, but that can have a very long focal length, by "bending" the light through an internal path. It's like a catadioptre, but flatter. Much, much flatter.

http://www.jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/news_releases/release.sfe?id=617

You also have to admire the scientific humility of these guys: “Our ‘folded lens’ is not technically a lens, since it is reflective. I am guilty of calling it a lens sometimes, but I’m trying to control myself. ‘Imager,’ or ‘folded optic’ are more accurate.”

BTW, I wonder if the mentioned Eric Tremblay from the article is from Québec. Sure sounds like a local name...

Very very cool. Who says there isn't something new under the sun?

Thanks for posting the link.