Controlling angular dispersions in optical metasurfaces

Enhanced Infrared Vision by Nonlinear Up-Conversion in Nonlocal Metasurfaces

The ability to detect and image short-wave infrared light has important applications in surveillance, autonomous navigation, and biological imaging. However, the current infrared imaging technologies often pose challenges due to large footprint, large thermal noise and inability to augment infrared and visible imaging. Here, infrared imaging is demonstrated by nonlinear up-conversion to the visible in an ultra-compact, high-quality-factor lithium niobate resonant metasurface. Images with high conversion efficiency and resolution quality are obtained despite the strong nonlocality of the metasurface. The possibility of edge-detection image processing augmented with direct up-conversion imaging for advanced night vision applications is further shown.

A tunable ultra-broadband and ultra-high sensitivity far-infrared metamaterial absorber based on VO2 and graphene

We proposed a far-infrared tunable metamaterial absorber using vanadium dioxide (VO2) and graphene as controlling materials. The properties of the absorber are investigated theoretically using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) technique. It was found that when the Fermi energy level of graphene is fixed at zero, VO2 is in the insulated state, and the metasurface exhibits far-infrared broadband absorption performance, with absorptance exceeding 90% in the wavelength range of 12.6 μm to 23.2 μm. In addition, by elevating the Fermi energy level of graphene, the absorption bandwidth of the device is expanded continuously. When the VO2 is in the metallic state, the device can flexibly transform into a far-infrared narrowband absorber. The device also has the advantage of being insensitive to changes in polarization and incident angle. The origin of the absorption and the tuning principle of the device were analyzed and verified successfully by using an equivalent circuit model (ECM). Besides, we also studied the refraction index sensing characteristics of the absorber. Surprisingly, the absorber exhibits excellent sensing characteristics, and its sensitivity (S) reaches 14.108 μm per RIU and the figure of merit (FOM) is 6.13 per RIU.

Optical color routing enabled by deep learning

Nano-color routing has emerged as an immensely popular and widely discussed subject in the realms of light field manipulation, image sensing, and the integration of deep learning. The conventional dye filters employed in commercial applications have long been hampered by several limitations, including subpar signal-to-noise ratio, restricted upper bounds on optical efficiency, and challenges associated with miniaturization. Nonetheless, the advent of bandpass-free color routing has opened up unprecedented avenues for achieving remarkable optical spectral efficiency and operation at sub-wavelength scales within the area of image sensing applications. This has brought about a paradigm shift, fundamentally transforming the field by offering a promising solution to surmount the constraints encountered with traditional dye filters. This review presents a comprehensive exploration of representative deep learning-driven nano-color routing structure designs, encompassing forward simulation algorithms, photonic neural networks, and various global and local topology optimization methods. A thorough comparison is drawn between the exceptional light-splitting capabilities exhibited by these methods and those of traditional design approaches. Additionally, the existing research on color routing is summarized, highlighting a promising direction for forthcoming development, delivering valuable insights to advance the field of color routing and serving as a powerful reference for future endeavors.

Perspectives: Light Control of Magnetism and Device Development

Accurately controlling magnetic and spin states presents a significant challenge in spintronics, especially as demands for higher data storage density and increased processing speeds grow. Approaches such as light control are gradually supplanting traditional magnetic field methods. Traditionally, the modulation of magnetism was predominantly achieved through polarized light with the help of ultrafast light technologies. With the growing demand for energy efficiency and multifunctionality in spintronic devices, integrating photovoltaic materials into magnetoelectric systems has introduced more physical effects. This development suggests that sunlight will play an increasingly pivotal role in manipulating spin orientation in the future. This review introduces and concludes the influence of various light types on magnetism, exploring mechanisms such as magneto-optical (MO) effects, light-induced magnetic phase transitions, and spin photovoltaic effects. This review briefly summarizes recent advancements in the light control of magnetism, especially sunlight, and their potential applications, providing an optimistic perspective on future research directions in this area.

Spin-Selective Angular Dispersion Control in Dielectric Metasurfaces for Multichannel Meta-Holographic Displays

Angle-dependent next-generation displays have potential applications in 3D stereoscopic and head-mounted displays, image combiners, and encryption for augmented reality (AR) and security. Metasurfaces enable such exceptional functionalities with groundbreaking achievements in efficient displays over the past decades. However, limitations in angular dispersion control make them unfit for numerous nanophotonic applications. Here, we propose a spin-selective angle-dependent all-dielectric metasurface with a unique design strategy to manifest distinct phase information at different incident angles of light. As a proof of concept, the phase masks of two images are encoded into the metasurface and projected at the desired focal plane under different angles of left circularly polarized (LCP) light. Specifically, the proposed multifunctional metasurface generates two distinct holographic images under LCP illumination at angles of +35 and -35°. The presented holographic displays may provide a feasible route toward multifunctional meta-devices for potential AR displays, encrypted imaging, and information storage applications.

High-Efficiency Multi-Channel Orbital Angular Momentum Multiplexing Enabled by the Angle-Dispersive Metasurface

Orbital angular momentum (OAM) multiplexing of electromagnetic (EM) waves is of great significance for high-speed wireless communication and remote sensing. To achieve high-efficiency OAM multiplexing for multi-channel incident EM waves, this paper presents a novel angle-dispersive meta-atom structure, which can introduce the required anti-symmetric phase dispersion as well as high transmission efficiency for OAM multiplexing. These meta-atoms are then arranged delicately to form an angle-dispersive metasurface working at the X band, which enables three-channel OAM multiplexing by converting highly directional transverse-magnetic (TM) waves incident from 0 and ±45° to coaxial OAM beams with l = 0 and ±2 modes, respectively. The simulation and experimental results reveal that the proposed metasurface can convert a higher proportion of energy to the required OAM modes compared to the conventional OAM multiplexing metasurfaces, which can significantly improve the coaxial transmission efficiency of multi-channel OAM multiplexing.

Revisiting the Design Strategies for Metasurfaces: Fundamental Physics, Optimization, and Beyond

Over the last two decades, the capabilities of metasurfaces in light modulation with subwavelength thickness have been proven, and metasurfaces are expected to miniaturize conventional optical components and add various functionalities. Herein, various metasurface design strategies are reviewed thoroughly. First, the scalar diffraction theory is revisited to provide the basic principle of light propagation. Then, widely used design methods based on the unit-cell approach are discussed. The methods include a set of simplified steps, including the phase-map retrieval and meta-atom unit-cell design. Then, recently emerging metasurfaces that may not be accurately designed using unit-cell approach are introduced. Unconventional metasurfaces are examined where the conventional design methods fail and finally potential design methods for such metasurfaces are discussed.

Covert Scattering Control in Metamaterials with Non-Locally Encoded Hidden Symmetry

Symmetries and tunability are of fundamental importance in wave scattering control, but symmetries are often obvious upon visual inspection, which constitutes a significant vulnerability of metamaterial wave devices to reverse-engineering risks. Here, it is theoretically and experimentally shown that a symmetry in the reduced basis of the "primary meta-atoms" that are directly connected to the outside world is sufficient; meanwhile, a suitable topology of non-local interactions between them, mediated by the internal "secondary" meta-atoms, can hide the symmetry from sight in the canonical basis. Covert symmetry-based scattering control in a cable-network metamaterial featuring a hidden parity ( P $\mathcal {P}$ ) symmetry in combination with hidden- P $\mathcal {P}$ -symmetry-preserving and hidden- P $\mathcal {P}$ -symmetry-breaking tuning mechanisms is experimentally demonstrated. Physical-layer security in wired communications is achieved using the domain-wise hidden P $\mathcal {P}$ -symmetry as a shared secret between the sender and the legitimate receiver. Within the approximation of negligible absorption, the first tuning of a complex scattering metamaterial without mirror symmetry to feature exceptional points (EPs) of PT $\mathcal {PT}$ -symmetric reflectionless states, as well as quasi-bound states in the continuum, is reported. These results are reproduced in metamaterials involving non-reciprocal interactions between meta-atoms, including the first observation of reflectionless EPs in a non-reciprocal system.

Recent advances in metasurface design and quantum optics applications with machine learning, physics-informed neural networks, and topology optimization methods

As a two-dimensional planar material with low depth profile, a metasurface can generate non-classical phase distributions for the transmitted and reflected electromagnetic waves at its interface. Thus, it offers more flexibility to control the wave front. A traditional metasurface design process mainly adopts the forward prediction algorithm, such as Finite Difference Time Domain, combined with manual parameter optimization. However, such methods are time-consuming, and it is difficult to keep the practical meta-atom spectrum being consistent with the ideal one. In addition, since the periodic boundary condition is used in the meta-atom design process, while the aperiodic condition is used in the array simulation, the coupling between neighboring meta-atoms leads to inevitable inaccuracy. In this review, representative intelligent methods for metasurface design are introduced and discussed, including machine learning, physics-information neural network, and topology optimization method. We elaborate on the principle of each approach, analyze their advantages and limitations, and discuss their potential applications. We also summarize recent advances in enabled metasurfaces for quantum optics applications. In short, this paper highlights a promising direction for intelligent metasurface designs and applications for future quantum optics research and serves as an up-to-date reference for researchers in the metasurface and metamaterial fields.

Point singularity array with metasurfaces

Phase singularities are loci of darkness surrounded by monochromatic light in a scalar field, with applications in optical trapping, super-resolution imaging, and structured light-matter interactions. Although 1D singular structures, like optical vortices, are common due to their robust topological properties, uncommon 0D (point) and 2D (sheet) singularities can be generated by wavefront-shaping devices like metasurfaces. With the design flexibility of metasurfaces, we deterministically position ten identical point singularities using a single illumination source. The phasefront is inverse-designed using phase-gradient maximization with an automatically-differentiable propagator and produces tight longitudinal intensity confinement. The array is experimentally realized with a TiO2 metasurface. One possible application is blue-detuned neutral atom trap arrays, for which this field would enforce 3D confinement and a potential depth around 0.22 mK per watt of incident laser power. We show that metasurface-enabled point singularity engineering may significantly simplify and miniaturize the optical architecture for super-resolution microscopes and dark traps.

Super-reflector enabled by non-interleaved spin-momentum-multiplexed metasurface

Electromagnetic wave multiplexing, especially for that occurring at different incidences (spatial-frequency multiplexing), is pivotal for ultrathin multifunctional interfaces and high-capacity information processing and communication. It is yet extremely challenging based on passive and compact wave elements, since the wave excitation and scattering channels are exclusively coupled through gradient phases and hence momentum matching condition at the interface. Here, we propose a spin-momentum multiplexed paradigm called a super-reflector enabling on-demand control of both retroreflections and anomalous reflections using a non-interleaved single-celled metasurface. By multiplexing four channels connecting two spin states excited onto each input of three spatial frequencies, a total of twelve channels are engineered, among which three are retroreflected channels and the residual are anomalous reflection ones. Our compound multiplexed super-reflector allows five degrees of freedom in circular polarization Jones' matrix, approaching the intrinsic upper limit of such planar metasurface. The concept has been experimentally verified by a proof-of-concept super-reflector at microwave frequency, showcasing twelve reflected beams and a high efficiency exceeding 90.6% defined as the ratio of reflected power to incidence for each channel beam. Our strategy opens a new avenue for angle multiplexing and angle-resolved metadevices toward the capacity limit of 2D planar Jones' matrix.

Convolutional neural networks used for random structure SPP gratings spectral response prediction

Data-driven design approaches based on deep learning have been introduced into nanophotonics to reduce time-consuming iterative simulations, which have been a major challenge. Here, we report a convolutional neural network (CNN) used to perform the prediction of surface plasmon polariton (SPP) grating output spectra, which is not limited by predefined shapes. For a random given structure, the network can output spectra with effective prediction, so that the simulation results are in excellent agreement with the network prediction results. Compared with the traditional finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method, the CNN model proposed in this Letter has absolute advantages in speed. Previous studies often used a regular device structure to modify its parameters for prediction; the random structure design method adopted in this Letter also provides a new, to the best of knowledge, idea for device design.

Prediction of metasurface spectral response based on a deep neural network

The two-dimensional optical metasurface can realize the free regulation of light waves through the free design of structure, which is highly appreciated by researchers. As there are high requirements for computer hardware, long time for simulation calculations, and data waste in the process of using the time-domain finite-difference method to solve the optical properties of the metasurface, the deep neural network (DNN) is proposed to predict the spectral response of an optical metasurface. The structural parameters of the metasurface are taken as inputs and the metasurface transmission spectrum is used as the output. To achieve better prediction results, different gradient descent algorithms were selected and the parameters of the DNN model were optimized. After 5 × 10⁴ times of epoch training, the loss function mean squared error (MSE) reaches 2.665 × 10^-3, the sum error of 98% test data is less than 3.23, and the relative error is less than 2%. The results show that the DNN model has an excellent prediction effect. Compared with the traditional simulation method, the efficiency of this model is improved by 10⁴ times, which can improve the efficiency of optical micro-nano structure design.

Spatially entangled photon pairs from lithium niobate nonlocal metasurfaces

Metasurfaces consisting of nanoscale structures are underpinning new physical principles for the creation and shaping of quantum states of light. Multiphoton states that are entangled in spatial or angular domains are an essential resource for many quantum applications; however, their production traditionally relies on bulky nonlinear crystals. We predict and demonstrate experimentally the generation of spatially entangled photon pairs through spontaneous parametric down-conversion from a metasurface incorporating a nonlinear thin film of lithium niobate covered by a silica meta-grating. We measure the correlations of photon pairs and identify their spatial antibunching through violation of the classical Cauchy-Schwarz inequality, witnessing the presence of multimode entanglement. Simultaneously, the photon-pair rate is strongly enhanced by 450 times as compared to unpatterned films because of high-quality-factor resonances. These results pave the way to miniaturization of various quantum devices by incorporating ultrathin metasurfaces functioning as room temperature sources of quantum-entangled photons.

Dielectric metalens for miniaturized imaging systems: progress and challenges

Lightweight, miniaturized optical imaging systems are vastly anticipated in these fields of aerospace exploration, industrial vision, consumer electronics, and medical imaging. However, conventional optical techniques are intricate to downscale as refractive lenses mostly rely on phase accumulation. Metalens, composed of subwavelength nanostructures that locally control light waves, offers a disruptive path for small-scale imaging systems. Recent advances in the design and nanofabrication of dielectric metalenses have led to some high-performance practical optical systems. This review outlines the exciting developments in the aforementioned area whilst highlighting the challenges of using dielectric metalenses to replace conventional optics in miniature optical systems. After a brief introduction to the fundamental physics of dielectric metalenses, the progress and challenges in terms of the typical performances are introduced. The supplementary discussion on the common challenges hindering further development is also presented, including the limitations of the conventional design methods, difficulties in scaling up, and device integration. Furthermore, the potential approaches to address the existing challenges are also deliberated.

Engineering van der Waals Materials for Advanced Metaphotonics

The outstanding chemical and physical properties of 2D materials, together with their atomically thin nature, make them ideal candidates for metaphotonic device integration and construction, which requires deep subwavelength light-matter interaction to achieve optical functionalities beyond conventional optical phenomena observed in naturally available materials. In addition to their intrinsic properties, the possibility to further manipulate the properties of 2D materials via chemical or physical engineering dramatically enhances their capability, evoking new science on light-matter interaction, leading to leaped performance of existing functional devices and giving birth to new metaphotonic devices that were unattainable previously. Comprehensive understanding of the intrinsic properties of 2D materials, approaches and capabilities for chemical and physical engineering methods, the resulting property modifications and novel functionalities, and applications of metaphotonic devices are provided in this review. Through reviewing the detailed progress in each aspect and the state-of-the-art achievement, insightful analyses of the outstanding challenges and future directions are elucidated in this cross-disciplinary comprehensive review with the aim to provide an overall development picture in the field of 2D material metaphotonics and promote rapid progress in this fast emerging and prosperous field.

Extremely angle-stable transparent window for TE-polarized waves empowered by anisotropic metasurfaces

Impedance mismatch generally exists upon interfaces between different media. This is especially true for TE-polarized waves with large incident angles since there is no Brewster effect. As a result, high-efficiency transmission can only be guaranteed within limited incident angle range. It is desirable that transparent windows possess robust angle-stability. In this work, we propose a strategy of realizing transparent windows with extreme angle-stability using anisotropic metasurfaces. Different from traditional isotropic materials, anisotropic metasurfaces require specific three-dimensional permittivity and permeability parameters. Theoretical formulas are derived to realize a highly efficient transmission response without angular dispersion. To validate our design concept, a two-layer cascaded electromagnetic anti-reflector is designed, and it exhibits a characteristic impedance matching for nearly all incidence angles under TE-polarization illumination. As a proof-of-concept, a prototype of extremely angle-stable transparent window is fabricated and measured. Compared with the pure dielectric plate, the reflection coefficients are on average reduced by 40% at 13.5 GHz for TE-polarized waves from 0° to 80°. Therefore, we think, anisotropic cascaded electromagnetic transparent windows are capable of tailoring the electromagnetic parameter tensors as desired, and provide more adjustable degrees of freedom for manipulating electromagnetic wavefronts, which might open up a promising way for electromagnetic antireflection and find applications in radomes, IR windows and others.

Optical metalenses: fundamentals, dispersion manipulation, and applications

Metasurfaces, also known as 2D artificial metamaterials, are attracting great attention due to their unprecedented performances and functionalities that are hard to achieve by conventional diffractive or refractive elements. With their sub-wavelength optical scatterers, metasurfaces have been utilized to freely modify different characteristics of incident light such as amplitude, polarization, phase, and frequency. Compared to traditional bulky lenses, metasurface lenses possess the advantages of flatness, light weight, and compatibility with semiconductor manufacture technology. They have been widely applied to a range of scenarios including imaging, solar energy harvesting, optoelectronic detection, etc. In this review, we will first introduce the fundamental design principles for metalens, and then report recent theoretical and experimental progress with emphasis on methods to correct chromatic and monochromatic aberrations. Finally, typical applications of metalenses and corresponding design rules will be presented, followed by a brief outlook on the prospects and challenges of this field.

Tunable structured light with flat optics

Flat optics has emerged as a key player in the area of structured light and its applications, owing to its subwavelength resolution, ease of integration, and compact footprint. Although its first generation has revolutionized conventional lenses and enabled anomalous refraction, new classes of meta-optics can now shape light and dark features of an optical field with an unprecedented level of complexity and multifunctionality. Here, we review these efforts with a focus on metasurfaces that use different properties of input light-angle of incidence and direction, polarization, phase distribution, wavelength, and nonlinear behavior-as optical knobs for tuning the output response. We discuss ongoing advances in this area as well as future challenges and prospects. These recent developments indicate that optically tunable flat optics is poised to advance adaptive camera systems, microscopes, holograms, and portable and wearable devices and may suggest new possibilities in optical communications and sensing.

Full-range birefringence control with piezoelectric MEMS-based metasurfaces

Dynamic polarization control is crucial for emerging highly integrated photonic systems with diverse metasurfaces being explored for its realization, but efficient, fast, and broadband operation remains a cumbersome challenge. While efficient optical metasurfaces (OMSs) involving liquid crystals suffer from inherently slow responses, other OMS realizations are limited either in the operating wavelength range (due to resonances involved) or in the range of birefringence tuning. Capitalizing on our development of piezoelectric micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) based dynamic OMSs, we demonstrate reflective MEMS-OMS dynamic wave plates (DWPs) with high polarization conversion efficiencies (∼75%), broadband operation (∼100 nm near the operating wavelength of 800 nm), fast responses (<0.4 milliseconds) and full-range birefringence control that enables completely encircling the Poincaré sphere along trajectories determined by the incident light polarization and DWP orientation. Demonstrated complete electrical control over light polarization opens new avenues in further integration and miniaturization of optical networks and systems.

Dynamic polarization control is crucial for intelligent optical systems, from imaging to sensing. The authors demonstrate efficient and broadband MEMS-based dynamic optical metasurface wave plates with full-range and fast birefringence tunability.

An Extended k-Surface Framework for Electromagnetic Fields in Artificial Media

The complete understanding of the electromagnetic field characteristics in artificially created bulk or thin media is essential to the efficient harnessing of the multitude of linear and nonlinear effects resulting from it. Due to the fact that recently developed artificial metastructures exhibit controllable electric and magnetic properties that are completely different from natural ones, the spectrum of behavior resulting from subjecting such media to electromagnetic fields has to be revisited. In this paper, we introduce a k-surface framework that offers complete information on the dispersion properties of media with designer electric and magnetic responses with positive and negative values, as well as for the coupling between the two. The extension from the classic k-surface case resides in the consideration of magnetic and bianisotropic materials with positive and negative permittivity and permeability values, as well as the introduction of the chirality coefficient.To illustrate the applicability of our framework, we have investigated the conditions to obtain collinear second harmonic generation in the case of artificial media with positively and negatively valued electric and magnetic responses. As expected, the phase matching tuning curves, defined as the intersections between the k-surfaces at both frequencies, are significantly modified with respect to the classic ones.

A Metasurface Beam Combiner Based on the Control of Angular Response

Beam combiners are widely used in various optical applications including optical communication and smart detection, which spatially overlap multiple input beams and integrate a output beam with higher intensity, multiple wavelengths, coherent phase, etc. Since conventional beam combiners consist of various optical components with different working principles depending on the properties of incident light, they are usually bulky and have certain restrictions on the incident light. In recent years, metasurfaces have received much attention and become a rapidly developing research field. Their novel mechanisms and flexible structural design provide a promising way to realize miniaturized and integrated components in optical systems. In this paper, we start from studying the ability of metasurfaces to manipulate the incident wavefront, and then propose a metasurface beam combiner in theory that generates an extraordinary refracted beam based on the principle of phase gradient metasurface. This metasurface combines two monochromatic light incidents at different angles with identical polarization but arbitrary amplitudes and initial phases. The combining efficiency, which is defined as the ratio of the power in the combining direction to the total incident power, is 42.4% at the working wavelength of 980 nm. The simulated results indicate that this proposed method is able to simplify the design of optical combiners, making them miniaturized and integrated for smart optical systems.

Fundamental challenges induced by phase modulation inaccuracy and optimization guidelines of geometric phase metasurfaces with broken rotation symmetry

Geometric phase metasurfaces feature complete phase manipulation of light at the nanoscale. While a majority of prior works assume the structure rotation in a fixed lattice of unit cells as equivalent to the element rotation required by the geometric phase principle, we argue that this assumption is fundamentally challenged for many current schematics which induce phase modulation inaccuracy. Here we take the dielectric nanobar type geometric phase metasurfaces as an example and perform an in-depth analysis about the physical origins of the phase modulation inaccuracy: imperfect structure rotation, resonance, tilted incidence and aperiodic arrays. We clarify the trade-off in phase modulation accuracy, efficiency, broadband property and wide angle acceptance. Furthermore, we present several examples of geometric phase metasurface devices to evaluate the performance degradation under different applications. Finally, based on the research, we provide a set of practical design and optimization guidelines to outperform the present devices of geometric phase metasurface.

Ultra-broadband metamaterial absorbers from long to very long infrared regime

Broadband metamaterials absorbers with high absorption, ultrathin thickness and easy configurations are in great demand for many potential applications. In this paper, we first analyse the coupling resonances in a Ti/Ge/Ti three-layer absorber, which can realise broadband absorption from 8 to 12 μm. Then we experimentally demonstrate two types of absorbers based on the Ti/Ge/Si3N4/Ti configuration. By taking advantage of coupling surface plasmon resonances and intrinsic absorption of lossy material Si3N4, the average absorptions of two types of absorbers achieve almost 95% from 8 to 14 μm (experiment result: 78% from 6.5 to 13.5 μm). In order to expand the absorption bandwidth, we further propose two Ti/Si/SiO2/Ti absorbers which can absorb 92% and 87% of ultra-broadband light in the 14-30 μm and 8-30 μm spectral range, respectively. Our findings establish general and systematic strategies for guiding the design of metamaterial absorbers with excellent broadband absorption and pave the way for enhancing the optical performance in applications of infrared thermal emitters, imaging and photodetectors.

Polarization-insensitive 3D conformal-skin metasurface cloak

Electromagnetic metasurface cloaks provide an alternative paradigm toward rendering arbitrarily shaped scatterers invisible. Most transformation-optics (TO) cloaks intrinsically need wavelength-scale volume/thickness, such that the incoming waves could have enough long paths to interact with structured meta-atoms in the cloak region and consequently restore the wavefront. Other challenges of TO cloaks include the polarization-dependent operation to avoid singular parameters of composite cloaking materials and limitations of canonical geometries, e.g., circular, elliptical, trapezoidal, and triangular shapes. Here, we report for the first time a conformal-skin metasurface carpet cloak, enabling to work under arbitrary states of polarization (SOP) at Poincaré sphere for the incident light and arbitrary conformal platform of the object to be cloaked. By exploiting the foundry three-dimensional (3D) printing techniques to fabricate judiciously designed meta-atoms on the external surface of a conformal object, the spatial distributions of intensity and polarization of its scattered lights can be reconstructed exactly the same as if the scattering wavefront were deflected from a flat ground at any SOP, concealing targets under polarization-scanning detections. Two conformal-skin carpet cloaks working for partial- and full-azimuth plane operation are respectively fabricated on trapezoid and pyramid platforms via 3D printing. Experimental results are in good agreement with numerical simulations and both demonstrate the polarization-insensitive cloaking within a desirable bandwidth. Our approach paves a deterministic and robust step forward to the realization of interfacial, free-form, and full-polarization cloaking for a realistic arbitrary-shape target in real-world applications.

Nanoimprinting metal-containing nanoparticle-doped gratings to enhance the polarization of light-emitting chips by induced scattering

Polarized radiative luminous semiconductor chips have huge application potential in many highly value-added fields. The integration of a subwavelength grating is recognized to be the most promising method for the development of polarized chips, but still faces the challenge of low polarized radiative performance. This paper describes a proposal for, and the development of, a scattering-induced enhanced-polarization light-emitting diode chip by directly nanoimprinting a metal-containing nanoparticle-doped grating onto the top surface of a common flip chip. The rate at which quantum-well light emission is used by the developed polarized chip is improved by more than 30%. More attractively, the doped scattering nanoparticles function as a scattering-induced polarization state converter that is sandwiched in between the top aluminum grating and the bottom silver reflector of the chips. The originally non-radiated light, with an electric-field vector parallel to the grating lines, is reflected back and forth inside the sandwich until it changes to the perpendicular vibration mode and is radiated outside the chip. Therefore, the polarization extinction ratio is greatly improved, compared to undoped samples.

Multichannel Electron Transmission and Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer in In2S3/Au/rGO Composite for CO2 Photoreduction

Efficient electron transmission is an important step in the process of CO₂ photoreduction. In this paper, a multi-interface-contacted In₂S₃/Au/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) photocatalyst with the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) mechanism has been successfully prepared by the solvothermal, self-assembly, and hydrothermal reduction processes. Photocatalytic CO₂ reduction experiments showed that the In₂S₃/Au/rGO (IAr-3) composite exhibited excellent photoreduction performance and photocatalytic stability. The yields of CO and CH₄ obtained after the photoreduction process with IAr-3 as the catalyst were around 4 and 6 times higher than those of pure In₂S₃, respectively. Photoelectrochemical analysis showed that the multi-interface contact and FRET mechanism greatly improved the generation, transmission, and separation efficiency of carriers photogenerated within the photocatalyst. In situ FTIR test was applied to analyze the photocatalytic CO₂ reduction process. ¹³C isotope tracer test confirmed that the carbon source of CO and CH₄ was the CO₂ molecules in the photoreduction process rather than the decomposition of catalyst or TEOA. A potential enhanced photocatalytic mechanism has been discussed in total.

On-axis three-dimensional meta-holography enabled with continuous-amplitude modulation of light

Conventional three-dimensional (3D) holography based on recording interference fringes on a photosensitive material usually has unavoidable zero-order light, which merges with the holographic image and blurs it. Off-axis design is an effective approach to avoid this problem; however, it in turn leads to the waste of at least half of the imaging space for holographic reconstruction. Herein, we propose an on-axis 3D holography based on Malus-assisted metasurfaces, which can eliminate the zero-order light and project the holographic image in the full transmission space. Specifically, each nanostructure in the metasurface acts as a nano-polarizer, which can modulate the polarization-assisted amplitude of incident light continuously, governed by Malus law. By carefully choosing the orientation angles of nano-polarizers, the amplitude can be both positive and negative, which can be employed to extinct zero-order light without affecting the intensity modulation for holographic recording. We experimentally demonstrate this concept by projecting an on-axis 3-layer holographic images in the imaging space and all experimental results agree well with our prediction. Our proposed metasurface carries unique characteristics such as ultracompactness, on-axis reconstruction, extinction of zero-order light and broadband response, which can find its market in ultracompact and high-density holographic recording for 3D objects.

Full-Stokes Polarization Perfect Absorption with Diatomic Metasurfaces

Metamaterial-based perfect absorbers provide efficient ways for selective absorption of light with both linear or circular polarizations. Perfect absorption for an arbitrary polarization requires the development of subwavelength structures absorbing efficiently elliptically polarized light, but they remain largely unexplored. Here, we design and realize experimentally novel plasmonic metasurfaces for full-Stokes polarization perfect absorption in the mid-infrared. The metasurface unit cell consists of coupled anisotropic meta-atoms forming a diatomic metamolecule. The designed plasmonic metastructures provide a strong field enhancement by at least 1 order of magnitude higher than conventional perfect absorbers. In experiment, our plasmonic metasurfaces demonstrate sharp differentiation of spectral responses for an arbitrary pair of orthogonal polarization states (linear, circular, or elliptical) providing perfect absorption for one polarization with strong reflection for its counterpart. Our results suggest a novel route for efficient control of light polarization in metasurfaces offering numerous potential applications ranging from thermal imaging to chiral molecule detection.

Dielectric Resonance-Based Optical Metasurfaces: From Fundamentals to Applications

Optical metasurface as a booming research field has put forward profound progress in optics and photonics. Compared with metallic-based components, which suffer from significant thermal loss and low efficiency, high-index all-dielectric nanostructures can readily combine electric and magnetic Mie resonances together, leading to efficient manipulation of optical properties such as amplitude, phase, polarization, chirality, and anisotropy. These advances have enabled tremendous developments in practical photonic devices that can confine and guide light at the nanoscale. Here we review the recent development of local electromagnetic resonances such as Mie-type scattering, bound states in the continuum, Fano resonances, and anapole resonances in dielectric metasurfaces and summarize the fundamental principles of dielectric resonances. We discuss the recent research frontiers in dielectric metasurfaces including wavefront-shaping, metalenses, multifunctional and computational approaches. We review the strategies and methods to realize the dynamic tuning of dielectric metasurfaces. Finally, we conclude with an outlook on the challenges and prospects of dielectric metasurfaces.

Multifunctional focusing and accelerating of light with a simple flat lens

The wavefronts emerging from phase gradient metasurfaces are typically sensitive to incident beam properties such as angle, wavelength, or polarization. While this sensitivity can result in undesired wavefront aberrations, it can also be exploited to construct multifunctional devices which dynamically vary their behavior in response to tuning a specified degree of freedom. Here, we show how incident beam tilt in a one dimensional metalens naturally offers a means for changing functionality between diffraction limited focusing and the generation of non-paraxial accelerating light beams. This attractively offers enhanced control over accelerating beam characteristics in a simple and compact form factor.

Helicity-dependent metasurfaces employing receiver-transmitter meta-atoms for full-space wavefront manipulation

Manipulating orthogonal circularly polarized (CP) waves independently in both reflection and transmission modes in a single metasurface is pivotal. However, independently controlling CP waves with different polarizations is difficult especially for both reflection and transmission modes. Here, we designed a receiver-transmitter metasurface with helicity-dependent reflection and transmission properties. Our design breaks the fixed phases of the geometry metasurface-carrying Pancharatnam-Berry operators by combining the receive and transmit antennas. To verify the effectiveness of the modulation, we designed three linear deflectors with: (a) reflection phase gradient, (b) transmission phase gradient, and (c) both of gradients to achieve anomalous reflection, anomalous refraction, and simultaneous anomalous reflection and refraction, respectively. As proof of the concept, a bifunctional meta-device with functions of anomalous reflection and focusing transmission for different incident CP waves was simulated and measured. Our findings offer an easy strategy for achieving arbitrary bifunctional CP devices.

A Reusable Metasurface Template

Metasurfaces have revolutionized the design concepts for optical components, fostering an exciting field of flat optics. Thanks to the flat and ultrathin nature, metasurfaces possess unique advantages over conventional optical components, such as lightweight, high compatibility, among others. To comply with potential applications, further research endeavors need to be exerted for advancing the reusability and practicality of metasurfaces. In this work, we demonstrate a reusable template approach to achieve optical multifunctionality with metasurfaces, utilizing both the geometric and propagation phases to shape light waves. In principle, such a metasurface template can be employed infinite times to enable a large variety of optical functions. As proof-of-concept experiments, we demonstrate metalensing, holography, and vortex beam shaping. Our work will leverage the high scalability aspects of metasurface devices for practical applications.