As reported by Gizmodo, the study was undertaken by researchers at the University of Central Florida and published in the Nature journal. The team investigated how individual sub-pixels on an LCD operate and whether they could be eliminated. Removing the sub-pixels would enable a tripling of display resolution.
Most modern LCD panels have a resolution of 1920×1080 or higher, equating to 2,073,600 pixels. Each of these pixels contains three sub-pixels, one each of red, green and blue. The monitor forms all the colours it displays by varying the voltage delivered to these sub-pixels. Under the basic laws of colour mixing, this allows the entire spectrum to be created.
The presence of sub-pixels creates a problem for high resolution panels. Because each physical pixel contains three sub-pixels, its size is restricted. The researchers considered how to remove the sub-pixels while still enabling the monitor to display a full range of colours. Eventually, they succeeded by using a new embossed nanostructure surface.
When combined with a sheet of reflective aluminium, the nanostructure surface allows individual subpixels to display every possible colour. The need for sub-pixels is entirely removed, allowing all the pixels on the monitor to be sub-pixel sized. This is what enables the overall resolution to be tripled. As each pixel is now one third of its original size, more can be added to the board.
“Traditional transmissive and reflective displays typically have three sub-pixel regions with static red, green and blue colour filters,” the team explained in its research paper. “These sub-pixels control the amount of each basis colour transmitted or absorbed to create arbitrary colours through a process called colour mixing.”
“On the contrary, a display built from a dynamic colour changing surface can eliminate the need for individual sub-pixels, increasing resolution by three times without reducing pixel dimensions.”
The system works by varying the voltage supplied to the aluminium-coated nano material. The irregular, bumpy surface of the material causes the pixels to display different colours from the entire RGB spectrum depending on the provided voltage. The completed pixel structure is known as a liquid crystal-plasmonic device.
The implications of the technology are enormous for several emerging areas of consumer tech. Devices such as virtual reality headsets could benefit hugely from a tripling in resolution. The current generation of headsets can suffer from a “screen door” effect due to the comparatively low resolution screens being in such close proximity to the eyes.
The team still needs to complete further research before the system is ready for commercial use. Although it’s not yet available on any existing monitors, the group is confident that manufacturers will be able to add it to their next-generation products with minimal work. If proven, the development could prove to be one of the most significant breakthroughs in display technology in recent years, increasing the adoption of 4K and 8K TVs, monitors and VR headsets.
