A multi-image-plane display based on cascaded switchable polymer-stabilized cholesteric texture (PSCT) screens is demonstrated. The unique features of our PSCT screens are twofold: transmittance is 98.2% at voltage-off state and switching time is around 1 ms. Potential applications include wearable virtual reality, augmented reality, and other headmounted displays.

Two-dimensional (2D) layered materials exhibit many unique properties, such as near-atomic thickness, electrical tunability, optical tunability, and mechanical deformability, which are characteristically distinct from conventional materials. They are particularly promising for next-generation biologically inspired optoelectronic artificial synapses, offering unprecedented opportunities beyond the current complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor-based computing device technologies. This Research update article introduces the recent exploration of various 2D materials for optoelectronic artificial synapses, such as graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides, black phosphorous, hexagonal boron nitride, MXenes, and metal oxides. Material property suitability and advantages of these 2D materials in implementing optoelectronic artificial synapses are discussed in detail. In addition, recent progress demonstrating 2D materials-enabled optoelectronic artificial synaptic devices is reviewed along with their device operation principles. Finally, pending challenges and forward-looking outlooks on this emerging research area are suggested.

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Photoluminescent ZrO2 and ZrO2:Tb3+ thin films were synthesized from metal-organic precursor, zirconium acetylacetonate [Zr(C5H7O2)4], using Ultrasonic Spray Pyrolysis method. These thin films were deposited on Corning glass substrates at several deposition temperatures. ZrO2 and ZrO2:Tb3+ (X a/o) films were characterized by x-ray diffraction to identify the crystalline structure; results showed tetragonal phase of zirconia; with a crystalline size of approximately 4 nm according to Scherrer’s formula. Also, SEM micrographs revealed that surface morphology of these films is very flat. Chemical composition microanalysis showed presence of oxygen and zirconium as major species. Analysis by Infrared spectroscopy demonstrates that 900 and 760 nm bands correspond to presence of ZrO2. In addition, these films showed optical transmittances from 75 to 98 % in the visible range. Photoluminescent features varied as a function of excitation wavelength; when excited at λ ex = 286 nm strong green emission is observed, which is associated to electronic transitions 5D4 → 7Fn (n = 6, 5, 4, 3) corresponding to Tb3+ ions. Excitation with λ ex = 336 nm exhibits spectra with simultaneous emissions from host lattice and Tb3+ ions; here, observed color was blue-green.