Anton Petrov:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQh9ezBdoPM
Also cross-posted from: https://programming.dev/post/31467824
A team of physicists at ETH Zurich has created a tiny metalens that can half the wavelength of incident light.
They have achieved this using a special metal-oxide lens material called lithium niobate and through nanoscale pattern, stamped into the material.
Such metalenses could be used as a security feature on banknotes or in the fabrication of ultra-thin elements for cameras.
I'm really surprised he doesn't mention the obvious military application. Like sure, a light source is required to illuminate the whole surrounding space like we see from typical night vision, but... mammals glow in infrared... like we're emitting that heat-light. Seeing any definitive sign of such a heat signature is a massive advantage in some situations. Goggles are a massive encumbrance disadvantage. A contact lens would gain a lot of situational awareness and mobility.
Seeing what happen to my wife eyes (that use contact lens) when even the smallest dirt gets in her eyes, I would say that in a open combat zone the googles seems to be way more effective.
Maybe the best compromise would something like a simple sunglasses, the same as the glasses that filter the blue light.