Interferometric modulator display

The Interferometric modulator display ( IMOD, dt " screen with interferometric modulator -working ") is a type of digital displays. The technique is based on the principle of the Fabry -Perot interferometer and was developed by the U.S. company Qualcomm. The equipped with this technology devices are sold under the trade name of Mirasol. The displays belong to the reflective displays, as they are not self-luminous (see also Electronic paper ).

Operation

The display consists of two reflecting layers, the distance between each other can be changed electrically. The distance between the layers is very small. Between the layers occurs optical interference. By variation of the distance may be generated for a particular wavelength range constructive or destructive interference. An image pixels of a particular color is thus either visible ( constructive interference ) or remains dark (destructive interference).

Pros and Cons

The display offers over traditional liquid crystal displays, but also modern OLED displays certain advantages. Firstly, the expected energy consumption is very low. If the reflective layers have even taken their desired position, her condition is stable, ie, they do not need more energy, as long as the image to be displayed does not change. According to the manufacturer Mirasol displays are even more energy efficient than similar e-ink displays. Furthermore, no backlight is needed because in a normal environment, the ambient light is sufficient. However, this is disadvantageous for applications in dark or poorly lit environments as well as the optional use of a backlight is not possible.

The display is according to the manufacturer, particularly in comparison to the liquid crystal display very quickly ( less than a microsecond). The manufacturer also advertises with particularly good readability in bright environments because the ambient light is used to display the image, and not to other types of displays is a stray.

An economic benefit is that existing production systems for flat panel displays with relatively low cost on IMOD production can be converted.

Reception

The computer magazine Chip Miralsol recorded in 2010 as one of two "Innovation of the Year" (the other was the expansion of Long Term Evolution, LTE, by the German Telekom).