POSTECH, Samsung Develop Glasses-Free 2D/3D Display Switching Technology

A meta-lens display technology that switches between 2D and 3D on a smartphone screen without glasses has been developed for the first time in the world.

This technology, developed by Professor Noh Jun-seok's team at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) and Samsung Electronics' Samsung Research, overcomes the persistent problems of narrow viewing angles and degraded 2D image quality common in existing glasses-free 3D displays.

The core of the technology is an ultra-thin 'meta-lens' measuring 1.2mm in thickness, which can switch its operational mode to concave lens (2D) or convex lens (3D) depending on whether voltage is applied. This meta-lens widens the viewing angle up to 100 degrees when implementing 3D and can be attached like a sticker to smartphone or tablet screens, offering excellent compatibility with existing devices. Its ability to achieve performance without separate hardware makes it highly likely for commercialization.

This research was published in 'Nature' and is recognized as an achievement that demonstrates the practical potential of meta-lenses as a next-generation display platform.