DNA could hold the key to developing better 3D images for virtual reality devices according to a paper published by MIT researchers.
The breakthrough reported is focused on how scaffolds made of folded DNA can help precisely assemble
arrays of quantum rods. This is significant because quantum rods can control both polarisation and colour of
light and, unlike quantum dots now regularly found in flat screen TVs, are notoriously difficult to build.
The
MIT website reports that researchers deposited quantum rods onto a DNA scaffold in a highly controlled way
that allowed them regulate their orientation, which is a key factor in determining the polarization of light
emitted by the array. This makes it easier to add depth and dimensionality to a virtual scene.
MIT postdocs Chi Chen and Xin Luo are the lead authors of the paper, which appears today
in Science Advances. Robert Macfarlane, an associate professor of materials science and engineering; Alexander Kaplan PhD ’23;
and Moungi Bawendi, the Lester Wolfe Professor of Chemistry, are also authors of the study.
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