An elastic display that is thinner than duct tape

Scientists at Stanford University have developed an innovative display that is at least twice as bright as modern smartphone screens and three times thinner.

They use an elastic light-emitting polymer, which you can stretch by hand to magnify the image.

The display consists of seven layers, two of which are external and form the framework for future devices. First, two layers are internal and electrode layers, followed by layers of charge carriers. In between is the light-emitting layer. It works as follows: electricity passing through the display introduces positive charges into the light-emitting layer, while another electrode introduces negative charges. Finally, the two types of charges meet and go into an energetically excited state but immediately return to their original condition. That is how a photon gets emitted.

The scientists used a combination of polyurethane and the light-emitting polymer SuperYellow to increase the screen's electrical conductivity and brightness. Unlike rubber, SuperYellow is more flexible, consisting of nanofibres, but doesn't impede the flow of electricity.

The result is a film-like shield you can stick either directly on your hand's palm or any other area of your skin. It is like a Scotch tape. It is not damaged by bending or tearing, making it highly resistant to any impact.