TECH BUZZ: Metasurface solves calculus problems as an analog computer

Plot of the reflection coefficient, r, as a function of nanobrick dimensions. The inset shows a gold nanobrick on top of a glass spacer and gold substrate. This study marks the first time that the amplitude and phase of the reflected light …more

Scientists have demonstrated that a 2-D man-made material called a metasurface can perform spatial differentiation and integration, the two main types of calculus problems, when illuminated by a laser beam. Essentially, the metasurface transforms the shape of the incoming light wave profile (the input) into the shape of its derivative or integral (the output). The achievement requires very precise control of light at the nanoscale—specifically, controlling both the amplitude and the phase of the reflected light at the same time.

read more at http://phys.org/news/2015-01-metasurface-calculus-problems-analog.html