Nanowire Grid Polarizers Integrated into Flexible, Gas Permeable, Biocompatible Materials and Contact Lenses

The integration of optical components directly into contact lens materials permits the realization of advanced display technologies and integrated medical instruments. A process is developed for the fabrication of aluminium nanowire grid polarizers encapsulated in a flexible, gas permeable, and biocompatible material for integration onto rigid, gas‐permeable contact lenses. Gas permeability values an order of magnitude higher than the minimum to prevent eye damage are measured while maintaining strong polarization performance. Further, the methods developed in this work can readily be applied to various optical and electronic technologies, allowing standard fabrication processes on rigid substrates and subsequent transfer to flexible, gas permeable, and biocompatible materials.