FIG:

Schematic of FZPs.

(a) An array of transmissive FZPs on a planar substrate. (b) FZPs on a flexible substrate with a convex shape. (c) The FOV for two FZPs on a flat substrate with substantial overlap. (d) The overall FOV is increased for the two FZPs on a flexible substrate due to the bending of the substrate. The FOV of a single FZP (microlens) is shown in yellow. (e,f) Focus scanning with a microlens on a flexible substrate. The focus when the substrate is flat is located at F₀. The focus shifts to F₁ for a convex shape of the substrate. The focus shifts to F₂ for a concave shape of the substrate. The total range of focus scanning is ΔF = F₂−F₁. Irradiance is shown in green. Reflective FZPs can also be realized, and their operating principle is similar to what is illustrated here.

Engineers often turn to nature for inspiration for their newest innovations.Madison-based engineers were looking to develop new, minuscule lenses with incredible visual fields, they turned to those who were there first: insects.
Consider this: The field of view in a single human eye is around 100 lateral degrees. That is, if you close one eye, and focus straight ahead of you, you will see a little more than 90 degrees worth of space, including the area of focus and the periphery to the side of you.
Now, get this: Bees can see more than 300 degrees, almost all the
way around their heads. Impressive, no doubt, but trust me: you don't want to see this way if you want to keep appreciating fine art.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison's engineering team are exploiting this very capability to make tiny lenses with the same kind of precision and field of vision, and they've added some improvements. According to a press release, the new lenses have a 170-degree field of view, in one single lens. Remember, one of your eyes only gives you 100 degrees.
Conventional lenses, including eyeglasses, use refraction to focus, but the new lenses use a completely different process: diffraction. In diffraction, light changes as it hits the edge of a surface. And with the new lenses, there are several "levels" to the lens, allowing light to hit "edges" throughout. The same has been attempted in the past, but never with the accuracy seen here; there was always some fuzziness in the resultant product. The Madison team was able to overcome this hurdle using new materials.
The new lenses are less than a half-millimeter across. If you have an average screen and aspect ratio, that's likely about the size of the period at the end of this sentence. The engineers hope they can be used as surgical tools, and in security cameras.
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