Scientists have created a new type of electronic paper. It displays different colors with minimal energy consumption.
The ink on which electronic screens are based only show black and white colors. However, the new technology can expand the scope of E-Ink by displaying different colors. An important feature of the improved technology is the reduced power consumption.
According to the study authors in the journal Nano Letters, they were helped to create the new electronic paper by changing the order of the layers in the display.
Traditional digital screens use backlighting to illuminate text or images. This technology has its advantages, but it is inconvenient to look at the screen in sunlight. There are other types of screens that are based on light reflection. This technology uses the natural mechanisms of image processing by the human eye. Reading text on these screens is like reading a regular paper book in sunlight. However, until now, such “reading rooms” were only black and white.
The authors of the technology also inverted the display layers. That is, the conductive layer turned out to be below the pixelated nanostructure responsible for displaying colors, and not higher, as before. The new layer order allows colors to be displayed much more clearly. Screens of this type, as their creators are sure, will find wide commercial use in the foreseeable future.
