Mirasol Technology Explained.
By Best-eReaders, March 14, 2010
Mirasol Technology Explained
Qualcomm is inspired by nature. Its Mirasol display mimics the workings and structures of nature. The result: a color display bright with iridescence of a butterfly’s wings.
With an IMOD-based technology (Interferometric Modulation) and a MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical system) structure, Qualcomm’s Mirasol display hopes to change the face of eReaders with its full color display, versatility, speed, and power efficiency as good or as near-good as eInk.
Biomimetics and the Science Behind Qualcomm’s Mirasol
According to Qualcomm, the Mirasol display mimics the mechanical process found in butterfly wings. As butterfly wings are made up of tiny mirror-like scales, so does the Mirasol. The very tiny mirrors harness ambient light in the environment, manipulating their wavelength in the process to reflect the desired color. Only certain colors are perceptible to the eye, and even that depends on the angle you view the display.
This process is the complete opposite of how other color display technologies work. Unlike standard color displays, the Mirasol does not use layers of materials and color filters to produce the illusion of color.
Absence of back light gives the Mirasol its power efficiency. It is also bistable which means that, like ePaper, it requires power to change a page only and not to maintain a static image. It has been said that if current eReaders replace their eInk screen with a Mirasol, they would last 20% longer. The Mirasol can last for 3 weeks without recharging. .
The Qualcomm display is also said to have faster video rate than the current EPD technology and it can also play video. Since light wavelengths operate on the nano scale, switching between colors take place in tens of microseconds.
If the name is any indication, too — Mira means look and Sol means sun in Spanish – the highly reflective display can be read under direct sunlight.
Core building blocks of Mirasol displays
According to Qualcomm, Mirasol displays consist of two conductive plates: (1) a thin film that is stacked atop a transparent subtrate; (2)and, also residing on a substrate, a reflective membrane that is self-supporting and deformable. An optically resonant cavity that acts as their mirror separates them.
When surrounding light hits display surface, it is reflected off both the two plates. Some of the wavelengths bounce off the reflective membrane, however, will not be of the same phase as those bouncing off the thin film. The colors produced, as perceived by the viewer, are a result of the amplification of certain wavelengths with respect to others.
Like Pixel Qi, the Mirasol display can switch to black. When a voltage is applied, the two plates are pulled together. The collapsed optical activity, as a result, interferes the ultraviolet wavelengths. The display then appears black when viewed from above.
Cost
Qualcomm said that the Mirasol is less expensive to produce, which means it can potentially lower the price of color eReaders in the future. Rumor has it that Amazon is eyeing the Mirasol to be the face of its first color eReaders that may arrive this year.
It would be marvelous if I can get any ereader or tablet with this display. It would be the winner.
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