Smart glasses might finally be ready for the mainstream—thanks to a breakthrough pixel smaller than a human hair. Researchers at Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU) have developed the world’s smallest light-emitting OLED pixel, measuring just 300 by 300 nanometers. This ultra-compact innovation could enable high-resolution displays so small they fit on the arm of a pair of glasses, projecting images directly onto lenses.

Figure 1. Smart Glasses.

Until now, miniaturizing OLED displays faced a fundamental physical limit: light-emitting pixels couldn’t shrink below the wavelength of their emitted light without losing brightness or stability. Attempts to build smaller OLEDs often produced dim or unstable displays. The Würzburg team overcame this challenge by integrating optical antennas into the design, allowing efficient light emission even at the nanoscale. Figure 1 shows Smart Glasses.

“With a metallic contact that injects current into the OLED while amplifying and emitting the light, we’ve built a 300×300 nanometer pixel that shines as brightly as a conventional 5×5 micrometer OLED,” explained Professor Bert Hecht [1]. This advancement means a full 1080p display could fit within a single square millimeter, dramatically reducing the footprint of visual hardware.

Building reliable nanopixels wasn’t easy. “If you simply scale down traditional OLEDs, currents concentrate at the edges, like lightning on a rod,” said Jens Pflaum. To prevent short circuits, the researchers added a custom insulation layer over the gold cuboid antenna, leaving only a tiny 200-nanometer opening at the center for stable light emission. The result: nanopixels that remained operational for two weeks under normal conditions.

The team now aims to boost efficiency—currently around 1%—and extend the technology to cover full RGB color. Once refined, these ultra-miniature OLEDs could pave the way for invisible, high-resolution displays seamlessly embedded into wearable devices, from eyeglass frames to even contact lenses.

Reference:

1. https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/worlds-smallest-pixel-smart-glasses

Cite this article:

Keerthana S (2025), World’s Tiniest Light Pixel—Thinner Than a Human Hair—Could Revolutionize Smart Glasses, AnaTechMaz, pp.394